Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1920

Roscoe

Meaning roebuck Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,248 Trend ↓ Falling 16%

From a place in Lancashire, from Old Norse rá (“roebuck”) + skógr (“forest”).

Rank 2025
#2,248
among boys · ↓63 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
63
named Roscoe · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 27,112
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
604 babies
All-time total
22,170
#790 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Roscoe popularity over time

22,170 babies have been named Roscoe since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 969 969 97 – #117
1890s – 850 850 85 -12% #145
1900s – 916 916 92 +8% #171
1910s – 3,803 3,803 380 +315% #194
1920s 5 4,503 4,508 451 +19% #214
1930s – 2,579 2,579 258 -43% #303
1940s – 2,322 2,322 232 -10% #351
1950s – 1,927 1,927 193 -17% #436
1960s – 1,111 1,111 111 -42% #623
1970s – 769 769 77 -31% #860
1980s – 636 636 64 -17% #1,020
1990s – 344 344 34 -46% #1,693
2000s – 363 363 36 +6% #2,668
2010s – 634 634 63 +75% #1,851
2020s (to 2025) 6 433 439 73 +15% #1,867

Where Roscoe is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 61 0.04 outside top 500
2027 60 0.04 outside top 500
2028 59 0.03 outside top 500
2029 58 0.03 outside top 500
2030 57 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Roscoe

Roscoe is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,248 in 2025 with 63 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 22,170 American babies have been named Roscoe. Its peak came in 1920, when 604 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Roscoe stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Roscoe?

The median living Roscoe is about 61 years old; half are between 35 and 75. An estimated 7,000 people named Roscoe are alive in the United States today.

median 61 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Roscoe year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 63 #2,248
2024 6 #14,938 67 #2,185
2023 – – 63 #2,269
2022 – – 81 #1,935
2021 – – 79 #1,927
2020 – – 80 #1,867
2019 – – 77 #1,929
2018 – – 82 #1,851
2017 – – 63 #2,169
2016 – – 64 #2,161
2015 – – 71 #2,033
2014 – – 71 #2,016
2013 – – 60 #2,199
2012 – – 55 #2,350
2011 – – 47 #2,620
2010 – – 44 #2,778
2009 – – 42 #2,884
2008 – – 47 #2,668
2007 – – 33 #3,367
2006 – – 29 #3,590
2005 – – 38 #2,836
2004 – – 40 #2,682
2003 – – 35 #2,835
2002 – – 36 #2,672
2001 – – 30 #3,046
2000 – – 33 #2,793
1995 – – 34 #2,337
1990 – – 44 #1,806
1985 – – 52 #1,348
1980 – – 77 #1,037
1975 – – 66 #1,017
1970 – – 88 #860
1965 – – 91 #775
1960 – – 157 #623
1955 – – 171 #565
1950 – – 234 #436
1945 – – 227 #397
1940 – – 213 #391
1935 – – 237 #358
1930 – – 352 #303
1925 – – 455 #267
1920 – – 604 #214
1915 – – 505 #210
1910 – – 136 #194
1905 – – 87 #200
1900 – – 96 #198
1895 – – 91 #174
1890 – – 99 #145
1885 – – 98 #138
1880 – – 90 #152

Famous people named Roscoe

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Roscoe Conkling Roscoe Conkling American politician (1829–1888) 19th century
  2. 2 Roscoe Arbuckle Roscoe Arbuckle American actor (1887–1933) 19th century
  3. 3 Roscoe Lee Browne Roscoe Lee Browne American actor and director (1922–2007) Contemporary
  4. 4 Roscoe Orman Roscoe Orman American actor and writer (born 1944) Contemporary
  5. 5 Roscoe Tanner Roscoe Tanner American tennis player (born 1951) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Roscoe, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Roscoe?

The median living Roscoe is about 61 years old. Half of all living Roscoes are between 35 and 75 years old.

How many people named Roscoe are alive today?

An estimated 7,000 people named Roscoe are alive in the United States, based on 22,170 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Roscoe mean?

From a place in Lancashire, from Old Norse rá (“roebuck”) + skógr (“forest”).

How popular is the name Roscoe in 2025?

Roscoe ranked #2,248 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 63 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Roscoe?

22,170 babies have been named Roscoe in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Roscoe most popular?

Roscoe peaked in 1920, when 604 newborns received the name.

Is Roscoe a boy or girl name?

Roscoe is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Roscoe rising or falling?

Roscoe has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Roscoe become more popular?

Roscoe is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 57 boys named Roscoe in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Roscoe?

Well-known people named Roscoe include Roscoe Conkling (politician), Roscoe Arbuckle (actor), Roscoe Lee Browne (actor).

Names like Roscoe

Names that sound and feel close to Roscoe: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Roscoe with similar names → More names starting with R →