NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Rosco

A masculine name, probably a variation of the Latin name "Roscoe" meaning "from the deer meadow".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Rosco is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rosco popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2263, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 17 births.

This profile covers 122 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 59% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 121 living people in the UK are called Rosco. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Rosco ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2018, when 17 boys were registered as Rosco.
  • About 121 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rosco as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2263

2024

Births in 2024

10

Latest year

Peak year

2018

17 births

Estimated living

121

2026

Meaning

What does Rosco mean?

The name Rosco is of English origin, derived from the Old Norse name Rothsskogr, which means "famous power" or "red-haired power." The name's earliest known use dates back to the 11th century in England, where it was initially spelled Rothsskogr or Rothscogr.

During the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity among the Anglo-Saxon nobility and was sometimes associated with strength and bravery. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Rothsskogr of Wessex, a Saxon warrior who fought alongside King Alfred the Great against the Danish invaders in the 9th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the historical chronicles of Matthew Paris, a Benedictine monk and chronicler, who mentioned a knight named Rosco de Montfort, a companion of Simon de Montfort, the 6th Earl of Leicester, during the Second Barons' War in 1264.

As the name evolved over time, it took on various spellings, including Roscoe, Roscow, and eventually, the modern form, Rosco. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Roscoe Conkling (1829-1888), a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from New York and played a significant role in the political affairs of the late 19th century.

Other notable individuals with the name Rosco include Rosco P. Coltrane (1832-1917), a Confederate Army officer during the American Civil War; Rosco Gordon (1928-2002), an American blues singer and songwriter; and Rosco Briggs (1932-2011), an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1950s and 1960s.

Throughout history, the name Rosco has been associated with strength, power, and bravery, reflecting its Old Norse roots. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, it remains a distinctive and historically significant name with a rich cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rosco over time

The chart below shows babies named Rosco registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Rosco, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rosco
0491317200320132024

Decades

Rosco by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rosco was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3198 31 5
2010s #2525 85 9
2000s #3950 6 2

Related

Names similar to Rosco

FAQ

Rosco: questions and answers

How popular is the name Rosco in the UK right now?

In 2024, Rosco was ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.

When was Rosco most popular?

The peak year on record was 2018, with 17 babies registered as Rosco in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rosco?

A masculine name, probably a variation of the Latin name "Roscoe" meaning "from the deer meadow".

How many people are called Rosco in the UK?

A total of 122 babies have been registered as Rosco across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.