Rocky
Rocky was the 568th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 520 babies. Its best year was 1955, when it ranked 240th; the most babies were born in 1957 (909). Over the last ten years it has moved up 359 places. More babies were named Rocky in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Rocco, Robert and others · English
Say it RAH-kee /ˈrɑki/
- Rank in 2025
- #568 boys, up 292 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 520boys
- Girls and boys
- 9% girls, 91% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1957909 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,134babies recorded
What does the name Rocky mean?
Rocky is a pet form of several names, according to Wiktionary: Robert, Ricky, Rocco, Roch and Rock. It also became a nickname for boxers after Rocky Balboa, the boxer in the film series. Because it comes from several names, it has no single meaning, though it suggests the English word rock. Rocky has been used for boys in the US since 1913 and was most common in the 1950s.
How sure is this? Uncertain. Pet form of several unrelated names.
Related names: Rocco, Rock, Robert, Roch.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rocky' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Rocky popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,564 | #568 | 43 | 520 |
| 2020 | #5,624 | #860 | 22 | 264 |
| 2010 | — | #1,136 | — | 164 |
| 2000 | — | #905 | — | 172 |
| 1990 | — | #657 | — | 235 |
| 1980 | #7,247 | #320 | 9 | 599 |
| 1970 | #7,773 | #506 | 6 | 254 |
| 1960 | #3,874 | #273 | 12 | 858 |
| 1950 | #5,177 | #388 | 6 | 300 |
| 1940 | — | #1,463 | — | 22 |
| 1930 | — | #1,804 | — | 18 |
| 1920 | — | #1,807 | — | 20 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Rocky, counting every spelling?
Rocky is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #565 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #568 for Rocky on its own. Together these spellings went to 520 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky | 520 | #568 | 1,736 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Rocky?
520 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rocky (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Rocky born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 16 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rocky.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rocky?
About 23,800 people born in the US named Rocky are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 27 and 65. That makes Rocky mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Rocky by state
How common Rocky was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (5.4×), Arizona (2.3×), Washington (2.2×), Oregon (2.0×), Oklahoma (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, South Carolina, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rocky: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rocky, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rocky · Sibling names for Rocky
Rocky is also a nickname for Rocco.
Questions about the name Rocky
What does Rocky mean?
Rocky is usually explained as “pet form of Rocco, Robert and others”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Rocky?
Rocky was the 568th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 520 babies. Its best year was 1955, when it ranked 240th; the most babies were born in 1957 (909). Over the last ten years it has moved up 359 places. More babies were named Rocky in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Rocky a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 9% girls, 91% boys given the name Rocky in the US.
Where is Rocky most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rocky was most common in Utah (1.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Hawaii and Arizona.