Rochelle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Rochelle family, who lived in either of two locations, one in Buckinghamshire, and one in Somerset. The places were originally called Rockholt, from the elements hroc, meaning rock, and holt meaning wood. However, another source claims the name was derived from a "dweller at, or near, the stony spring or stream." 1

Early Origins of the Rochelle family

The surname Rochelle was first found in either Buckinghamshire or Somerset where this surname was originally a habitation surname. 2 Today, Rockwell Green is a village near Wellington, in the Taunton Deane district of Somerset and Rockwell End is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire which has been used as a film location for two of the Midsomer Murders series.

Early History of the Rochelle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rochelle research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1324 are included under the topic Early Rochelle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rochelle Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rochelle were recorded, including Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others.

Early Notables of the Rochelle family

More information is included under the topic Early Rochelle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rochelle Ranking

In the United States, the name Rochelle is the 6,423^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Rochelle migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Rochelle arrived in North America very early:

Rochelle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Etienne Rochelle, who landed in New York, NY in 1661 4

Rochelle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Rochelle, who arrived in Arkansas in 1894 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Rochelle (post 1700) +

Robert Rochelle (b. 1945), American lawyer and former Democratic politician, Member of the Tennessee Senate from 1982 to 2002
June Rochelle, American contemporary gospel singer, songwriter and talent scout from Indianapolis, Indiana
Karyn Rochelle, American country music songwriter
Ike F. Rochelle, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1952
Alexandra Rochelle (b. 1983), French female former volleyball player, member of France women's national volleyball team
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (1949-2023), American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who won three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 to 1974, the American League (AL) Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971
Kaylee Rochelle McKeown (b. 2001), Australian swimmer and triple Olympic gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Amanda Rochelle Penix (b. 1978), American model, Miss Oklahoma Teen USA (1997)
Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell (b. 1976), American major in the United States Air Force, and the first female African-American fighter pilot in the history of that service
Rochelle Loewen (b. 1979), Canadian broadcaster, former model and professional wrestler

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)