Meaning: Its source is Rocco, an Italian name meaning "Rest."

Nickname For: Rocco

Variant Forms: Rock

Non-English Forms: Roque

Popularity: The name Rocky ranked 530th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: This originated as a nickname for a tough individual, but its development into a given name is not unprecedented, as the commentary on Peter (which started as nickname meaning '' rock'') makes clear.

Popularized first by the prize fighter Rocco ''Rocky'' Marciano (1923-1969), the name was carried into the latter part of the 20th century by the title charcter of Sylvester Stallone's 1976 hit film Rocky.