To Rocco or not to Rocco - That is MY Question

(This is actually a logo from a band so I'm not trying to steal it but it was the only "Rocco" graphic I could find. Here's a link for copyright purposes: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=active&um=1&q=Rocco&sa=N&start=240&ndsp=20 )




Many of you know that Rocco is on the top of our list for boy names. I originally chose it because it's a family name on my side of the family. My grandma's maiden last name was Rocco and I have tons of relatives with the last name Rocco. In fact, we have the Rocco Family Reunion this Sunday (on our 1 year wedding anniversary) and we have the Rocco Reunion Website that details the latest news about our family. (http://www.roccoreunion.com/)

In addition, when I first researched the name, I found that it is an Italian name with Germanic decent. I thought that was pretty cool since I love my Italian heritage but also have German heritage. And Nathan also has German heritage. So it seemed like a good fit. We put the name on our list and Nathan liked it but his one complaint was that his sister has a dog named Rocco. I couldn't help that she named her dog a cool name. In addition, she and her family were moving to Dallas so it's not like the dog would be anywhere nearby so no confusion should ensue.

We continued on searching for names and Maxwell (Max) also came to the top of our list (other top names included Carter and Xavier). But after we found out that we are for sure having a boy, Nathan has come back around to Rocco. He has even come up with a middle name: Rocco Flynn Meyer. It does have a nice ring to it. And I keep saying that Rocco covers my Italian heritage, Flynn covers our Irish heritage (b/c we are both Irish also) and Meyer covers our German heritage. So the name seems to be working on a lot of different levels.

I think one of the only things holding me back from 100% deciding on the name Rocco is some of the reactions to the name and wondering if it's too much of a big name for someone to live up to. It seems like most people around our age (20's and 30's) like the name. It seems like the older generation (the Baby Boomers) do not. I don't think my mom or mother-0n-law are too hip on the name and I don't think that my aunts particularly liked it either when I mentioned it to them. I know that not everyone is going to like the name we chose no matter what it is but I can't help but want everyone to love it (or at least like it). But ultimately, this is our baby and our decision.

I did a little research today on the name that I'd like to share. Some of it I knew already but some of it I did not. Here's the lowdown on "Rocco":

Rocco is used chiefly in the Italian language and it is derived from Germanic origins. From the elements 'rohon' meaning to roar, battle cry ; 'hrok' meaning rest, repose. Roho (Germanic) is an old form of Rocco.

The name was borne by Saint Rocco (1295-1327), who nursed plague victims and is today known as the patron saint of the sick. I like this because I was scarred as a child when the nun at my Catholic school told us to research the saints that we were named after. I told her I wasn't named after a saint. She told me to use my middle name. I told her that wasn't a saint's name either. She then told me to just pick any saint and research him or her. For some reason this embarassed me and I have never forgotten it. Silly, I know, but knowing that there is a Saint Rocco makes me feel better about the name. :)

You can click here for an image and more information on Saint Rocco. It's an interesting Catholic story that I was not familiar with. It also details one woman's experience of naming her son Rocco and the negative reaction she has received.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://raisingrocco.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/saint-rocco.jpg&imgrefurl=http://raisingrocco.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/&usg=__L-ayijS8BxDQcp9DW4wE8nlzevg=&h=353&w=251&sz=19&hl=en&start=28&um=1&tbnid=xdzgk_yGWByA1M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=86&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRocco%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1

The variant Rocky is often linked with toughness and physical strengh, from association with the famous US boxer Rocky Marciano (1923-1969), who was born Rocco Marchegiano. If we choose Rocco, his nickname will NOT be Rocky. No way, no how!!!

Rocco is a fairly popular baby name for boys, and it is also viewed as trendy. (Yay!) At the modest peak of its usage in 1922, 0.034% of baby boys were given the name Rocco. Its ranking then was #285. The baby name has since suffered a steep loss in popularity. In 2008, its usage was 0.033% and its ranking #418, somewhat regaining its popularity in the recent decade. (So it's not too common but not too out there and it's on the up and up!) Out of all boy names in its group, Rocco was the most widely used.

Famous people who gave their babies this name: Ted Nugent, Madonna

Famous real-life people named Rocco:

Rocco Baldelli - Boston Red Sox outfielder.

Rocco DiSpirito - American celebrity chef and reality show host.

Rocky Colavito - former right fielder in Major League Baseball.

Rocco DeLuca - Rocco DeLuca and the Burden are a four-piece American alternative rock band from California who formed in late 2005. Previous to this Rocco DeLuca himself was a solo artist who opened for artists like Taj Mahal, John Mayall and John Lee Hooker, and played with Johnny Cash.

Rocco Mediate - famous golfer

So anyway, this is what I've come up with and I guess it remains to be seen if our baby boy will be name Rocco. But if he is, you will all now know all there is to know about the name and why it was chosen ( at least by me; Nathan's reasons may be entirely different!) :)

Love,
Dawn