girl's name
Rochelle
roh-SHEL
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 49,500
Northern Ireland
#384
1998 births
Rochelle means little rock, and it is a place rather than a person — La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast was a Huguenot stronghold, and the name reached English through the town rather than any saint.
- Rochelle is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1969, when 1,284 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 110,522 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Rochelle over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 50 |
| 1910s | 300 |
| 1920s | 441 |
| 1930s | 2,346 |
| 1940s | 4,564 |
| 1950s | 6,949 |
| 1960s | 9,970 |
| 1970s | 9,154 |
| 1980s | 7,342 |
| 1990s | 4,260 |
| 2000s | 1,293 |
| 2010s | 521 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 205 |
What Rochelle means
Rochelle means a little rock. The French diminutive names a physical feature, so the sense belongs to the ground rather than to any quality of a person.
Where Rochelle comes from
Rochelle is the French roche, a rock, with a diminutive — the name of the Atlantic port La Rochelle, built on a rocky outcrop. The town was the principal Huguenot stronghold and was besieged by Richelieu in 1627, a defeat that effectively ended Protestant political power in France. The word roche also gives the surname Roche and the English rock itself, borrowed from Norman French.
Rochelle in use
Rochelle peaked in the United States in 1969, when 1,284 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 3151st in England and Wales on 8 births and 4578th in the United States on 30, across 49,500 lifetime births in three of the seven markets we track. England and Wales ran its own peak of 128 births in 1997, and our records carry the name from 1900.
How popular is Rochelle?
In 2025, Rochelle was given to 30 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Rochelle is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Rochelle
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Rochelle also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rochelle over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Rochelle
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Rochelle in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Rochelle
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Rochelle — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Rochelle
What does the name Rochelle mean?
Little rock — the French roche with a diminutive.
Is it named after the town?
La Rochelle, the Atlantic port built on a rocky outcrop.
What happened at La Rochelle?
Richelieu besieged it in 1627, ending Huguenot political power in France.
Is the English word rock related?
Yes — borrowed from the same Norman French roche.
How popular is the name Rochelle?
In 2025, Rochelle was given to 30 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Rochelle a girl's or a boy's name?
Rochelle is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Rochelle?
Rochelle has 2 syllables.
When was Rochelle most popular?
Rochelle peaked in 1969, when 1,284 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Rochelle?
Rochelle is usually shortened to Shelly.
Is Rochelle a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rochelle currently ranks #2,315 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.