NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Roscoe

Derived from the Middle English form of an Old Norman name meaning "valley of the deer".

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.

Roscoe is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Roscoe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #981, with 31 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 57 births.

This profile covers 598 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1998 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 54% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 595 living people in the UK are called Roscoe. 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

  • Roscoe ranked #981 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 31 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 57 boys were registered as Roscoe.
  • About 595 living people in the UK are estimated to have Roscoe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#981

2024

Births in 2024

31

Latest year

Peak year

2017

57 births

Estimated living

595

2026

Meaning

What does Roscoe mean?

The name Roscoe has its origins in the Old Norse language, derived from the word "råskår," which means "a roughhewing" or "a cleaving." It is believed to have emerged around the 9th or 10th century in the regions inhabited by the Vikings, particularly in Scandinavia and parts of the British Isles.

The earliest recorded use of the name Roscoe dates back to the 11th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of English landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already gained some popularity among the Anglo-Saxon population at that time.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name Roscoe was Roscoe Pound (1870-1964), an influential American legal scholar and botanist who made significant contributions to the field of jurisprudence. He served as the Dean of Harvard Law School and was a leading figure in the sociological jurisprudence movement.

Another prominent figure was Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933), an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter who rose to fame during the early 20th century. Despite being one of the most popular comedians of his era, his career was ultimately overshadowed by a highly publicized and controversial manslaughter trial in 1921.

In the world of literature, Roscoe Conkling Misner (1909-1995) was an American author and poet, best known for his children's books and his work as a humorist. He published several collections of humorous poetry and was also a frequent contributor to various magazines and newspapers.

Roscoe Mitchell (born 1940) is a renowned American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator who has played a significant role in the development of avant-garde and free jazz. He is a founding member of the influential Art Ensemble of Chicago and has been widely recognized for his innovative approaches to music.

Finally, Roscoe Tanner (born 1951) was a professional tennis player from the United States who achieved notable success on the professional circuit in the 1970s. He was known for his powerful serve and reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world in 1979, winning numerous singles and doubles titles during his career.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Roscoe over time

The chart below shows babies named Roscoe registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Roscoe, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 31 births in 2024, compared with 57 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Roscoe
014294357199820112024

Decades

Roscoe by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Roscoe 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 #803 206 5
2010s #1170 319 10
2000s #2085 69 8
1990s #2419 4 1

Notable bearers

Famous people named Roscoe

  • Roscoe D'Sane

    association football player

    Footballer (born 1980)

    1980-

  • Roscoe Howells

    writer

    Welsh writer

    1919-2014

Related

Names similar to Roscoe

FAQ

Roscoe: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Roscoe was ranked #981 for boys in England and Wales, with 31 births registered.

When was Roscoe most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 57 babies registered as Roscoe in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Roscoe?

Derived from the Middle English form of an Old Norman name meaning "valley of the deer".

How many people are called Roscoe in the UK?

A total of 598 babies have been registered as Roscoe across the 24 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.