Rocky
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ROK-ee
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #546 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #568 for boys
Rocky is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “rock, tough”. In 2025 it ranked 546th for boys in the UK (78 babies) and 568th for boys in the US (520 babies).
What does Rocky mean?
English: nickname from rock; also a pet form of Rocco
“rock, tough”
Also a pet form of Rocco; boxer Rocky Marciano, born Rocco Marchegiano, and film hero Rocky Balboa made it famous.
Is Rocky a girl's or a boy's name?
Rocky is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 78 boys in the UK and 43 girls and 520 boys in the US.
How popular is Rocky in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 546th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 78 about 1 in 3,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 41% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 78 boys in the UK were named Rocky, making it the 546th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 770th.
2025 had the most boys named Rocky of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Rocky in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 522nd in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
Rocky in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #546 |
| 2024 | 71 | #597 |
| 2023 | 52 | #730 |
| 2022 | 62 | #648 |
| 2021 | 43 | #832 |
| 2020 | 46 | #770 |
| 2019 | 46 | #773 |
| 2018 | 51 | #741 |
| 2017 | 37 | #919 |
| 2016 | 55 | #703 |
| 2015 | 36 | #924 |
| 2014 | 40 | #850 |
| 2013 | 50 | #729 |
| 2012 | 56 | #678 |
| 2011 | 38 | #859 |
| 2010 | 52 | #679 |
| 2009 | 39 | #818 |
| 2008 | 40 | #795 |
| 2007 | 30 | #935 |
| 2006 | 13 | #1,558 |
| 2005 | 20 | #1,133 |
| 2004 | 16 | #1,239 |
| 2003 | 19 | #1,046 |
| 2002 | 9 | #1,594 |
| 2001 | 9 | #1,547 |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 3 | #3,021 |
| 1997 | 6 | #1,853 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Rocky in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 568th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 520 about 1 in 3,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 57% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 520 boys in the US were named Rocky, making it the 568th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 860th. Its busiest year was 1957, with 909 boys. It first appears in the records in 1913. 43 girls were also named Rocky in 2025 (3,516th for girls).
2025 had more boys named Rocky than any year since 1982.
Half of all the boys named Rocky in the US since 1880 were born between 1958 and 1992, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 529 boys in the US were given Rocky or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #551, up from #568 for this spelling alone.
- Rocky 520
- Rookie 9
Rocky in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 520 | #568 |
| 2024 | 419 | #656 |
| 2023 | 263 | #884 |
| 2022 | 268 | #884 |
| 2021 | 266 | #869 |
| 2020 | 264 | #860 |
| 2019 | 267 | #841 |
| 2018 | 237 | #907 |
| 2017 | 217 | #958 |
| 2016 | 217 | #954 |
| 2015 | 231 | #925 |
| 2014 | 211 | #986 |
| 2013 | 197 | #997 |
| 2012 | 188 | #1,032 |
| 2011 | 186 | #1,025 |
| 2010 | 164 | #1,133 |
| 2009 | 187 | #1,032 |
| 2008 | 197 | #992 |
| 2007 | 216 | #916 |
| 2006 | 189 | #980 |
| 2005 | 180 | #966 |
| 2004 | 159 | #1,028 |
| 2003 | 160 | #991 |
| 2002 | 148 | #1,032 |
| 2001 | 159 | #967 |
| 2000 | 172 | #900 |
| 1999 | 131 | #1,047 |
| 1998 | 140 | #978 |
| 1997 | 142 | #946 |
| 1996 | 142 | #920 |
| 1995 | 190 | #776 |
| 1994 | 175 | #800 |
| 1993 | 203 | #729 |
| 1992 | 189 | #750 |
| 1991 | 209 | #696 |
| 1990 | 235 | #655 |
| 1989 | 228 | #661 |
| 1988 | 296 | #530 |
| 1987 | 316 | #503 |
| 1986 | 410 | #425 |
| 1985 | 411 | #423 |
| 1984 | 426 | #400 |
| 1983 | 486 | #362 |
| 1982 | 589 | #323 |
| 1981 | 592 | #325 |
| 1980 | 599 | #319 |
| 1979 | 656 | #302 |
| 1978 | 553 | #317 |
| 1977 | 565 | #327 |
| 1976 | 403 | #383 |
| 1975 | 334 | #429 |
| 1974 | 208 | #555 |
| 1973 | 225 | #523 |
| 1972 | 230 | #520 |
| 1971 | 239 | #525 |
| 1970 | 254 | #506 |
| 1969 | 267 | #467 |
| 1968 | 243 | #488 |
| 1967 | 272 | #459 |
| 1966 | 302 | #438 |
| 1965 | 371 | #409 |
| 1964 | 454 | #366 |
| 1963 | 520 | #339 |
| 1962 | 561 | #333 |
| 1961 | 730 | #286 |
| 1960 | 858 | #273 |
| 1959 | 845 | #273 |
| 1958 | 780 | #273 |
| 1957 | 909 | #252 |
| 1956 | 890 | #243 |
| 1955 | 858 | #240 |
| 1954 | 786 | #247 |
| 1953 | 684 | #268 |
| 1952 | 540 | #306 |
| 1951 | 379 | #348 |
| 1950 | 300 | #386 |
| 1949 | 287 | #395 |
| 1948 | 208 | #462 |
| 1947 | 178 | #502 |
| 1946 | 98 | #652 |
| 1945 | 85 | #654 |
| 1944 | 54 | #861 |
| 1943 | 50 | #943 |
| 1942 | 49 | #947 |
| 1941 | 28 | #1,254 |
| 1940 | 22 | #1,433 |
| 1939 | 27 | #1,272 |
| 1938 | 14 | #1,901 |
| 1937 | 21 | #1,481 |
| 1936 | 18 | #1,587 |
| 1935 | 26 | #1,326 |
| 1934 | 26 | #1,323 |
| 1933 | 28 | #1,251 |
| 1932 | 10 | #2,465 |
| 1931 | 15 | #1,927 |
| 1930 | 18 | #1,753 |
| 1929 | 24 | #1,480 |
| 1928 | 17 | #1,902 |
| 1927 | 18 | #1,871 |
| 1926 | 10 | #2,723 |
| 1925 | 18 | #1,869 |
| 1924 | 14 | #2,229 |
| 1923 | 11 | #2,613 |
| 1922 | 17 | #1,951 |
| 1921 | 9 | #2,985 |
| 1920 | 20 | #1,747 |
| 1919 | 12 | #2,384 |
| 1918 | 9 | #2,881 |
| 1917 | 7 | #3,216 |
| 1916 | 12 | #2,258 |
| 1915 | 9 | #2,620 |
| 1914 | 5 | #3,263 |
| 1913 | 6 | #2,495 |
Names like Rocky
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Sonny, Rory, Rudy, Lenny, Toby, Reggie, Frankie, Joey, Bobby, Robin, Ronnie, Tommy
Names related to Rocky
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Rocky: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/rocky, updated 20 October 2026.