Roach Family History

The surname English has Norman origins, deriving from Old French and Middle English roche, which translates to ‘rock, cliff, or promontory.’ It is sometimes a translation of Stone. The surname may have been topographic, denoting someone who lived on or by a prominent rock or rocky place, or it may be a habitational name for someone who lived in or came from a location named Roque or Roche(s) in Normandy and neighboring regions.

Examples of such locations include Roche in Cornwall, Roach Farm in Clyst Hydon (Devon), or Roch in Pembrokeshire (see Roch). In Lancashire, it may refer to the River Roch, which flows through Rochdale; this river name is probably a back-formation from Recedham, an early name for Rochdale recorded in 1086. This name is derived from Old English reced, meaning ‘building, house, hall,’ combined with hām, meaning ‘village, homestead.’

Alternatively, the Lancashire name could be a shortened form of the now rare or extinct surname Rochdale, also known as Rachedale or Rachdall, which is a habitational name from Rochdale (Lancashire). From the 18th century onward, the name is difficult to distinguish from Roch, borne by Irish migrants to South Lancashire, especially Liverpool.