Rocha
Encyclopedia
Rocha is a Portuguese
family name
. It literally means “rock
” or “boulder
” in Portuguese; for instance, “rochas sedimentares, metamórficas e magmáticas” means “sedimentary, metamorphic and magmatic rocks”. It is also a topographical surname that is found in Portugal
as “da Rocha” or simply Rocha, literally, "one who is from/of the rock".
The first documented usage of the surname in Portugal
was from a Monsignor de la Roche who arrived in Portugal
on his way to the Holy Land from possibly Flanders
during the reign of Afonso III of Portugal
and assisted in the taking of Silves from the Moors
. Afonso III of Portugal
granted this gentlemen lands in Torres Novas
and other locales for his services. His descendants used the Portuguese version of the word, ‘da Rocha’.
Another wave of the Roche family arrived from the Diocese of Fermoy
, Ireland
where they were viscounts during the reign of Joao I. This family helped with the Portuguese war against Castile
and this gentlemen had three sons, Gomes, Louis, and Raymond. It is from D. Gomes da Rocha where the Portuguese version of the name continued onto later generations.
According to the “Dicionário das Famílias Portuguesas” (Dictionary of Portuguese Families) by D.
Luiz de Lancastre e Távora, Gomes da Rocha was commandante of Pombeiro
, Portugal
and other monasteries in 1482 before becoming bishop of Tripoli
in the middle of the 15th century.
Another Portuguese author, Felgueiras Gayo, states Gomes was married to a lady by the name of D. Ines de Meneses and after becoming a widow, he became commandante of Pombeiro. It is from this family that the current coat-of-arms bearing ‘da Rocha’ families of Portugal
are said to be descended from.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
. It literally means “rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
” or “boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
” in Portuguese; for instance, “rochas sedimentares, metamórficas e magmáticas” means “sedimentary, metamorphic and magmatic rocks”. It is also a topographical surname that is found in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
as “da Rocha” or simply Rocha, literally, "one who is from/of the rock".
The first documented usage of the surname in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
was from a Monsignor de la Roche who arrived in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
on his way to the Holy Land from possibly Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
during the reign of Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , the Bolognian , the fifth King of Portugal and the first to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, from 1249...
and assisted in the taking of Silves from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III of Portugal
Afonso III , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , the Bolognian , the fifth King of Portugal and the first to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, from 1249...
granted this gentlemen lands in Torres Novas
Torres Novas
Torres Novas is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 270.0 km² and a total population of 37,155 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 17 parishes, and is located in the district of Santarém. The city of Torres Novas has about 15,000 inhabitants. This city has a castle...
and other locales for his services. His descendants used the Portuguese version of the word, ‘da Rocha’.
Another wave of the Roche family arrived from the Diocese of Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where they were viscounts during the reign of Joao I. This family helped with the Portuguese war against Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
and this gentlemen had three sons, Gomes, Louis, and Raymond. It is from D. Gomes da Rocha where the Portuguese version of the name continued onto later generations.
According to the “Dicionário das Famílias Portuguesas” (Dictionary of Portuguese Families) by D.
Dom (title)
Dom is a title of respect prefixed to the given name. It derives from Latin Dominus.It is used in English for certain Benedictine and Carthusian monks, and for members of certain communities of Canons Regular. Examples include Benedictine monks of the English Benedictine Congregation...
Luiz de Lancastre e Távora, Gomes da Rocha was commandante of Pombeiro
Mosteiro de Pombeiro
The Monastery of Pombeiro is a monastery in the civil parish of Pombeiro de Ribavizela, in the municipality of Felgueiras , in the northern region of Portugal.-History:...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and other monasteries in 1482 before becoming bishop of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in the middle of the 15th century.
Another Portuguese author, Felgueiras Gayo, states Gomes was married to a lady by the name of D. Ines de Meneses and after becoming a widow, he became commandante of Pombeiro. It is from this family that the current coat-of-arms bearing ‘da Rocha’ families of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
are said to be descended from.
See also
- Pêra RochaPêra RochaPêra Rocha is an native Portuguese variety of pear. The earliest account of the Rocha variety dates from 1836, in the Sintra municipality. This variety was casually obtained from a seed, on Pedro António Rocha's farm. The variety derives its name from his family name. The Rocha pear is produced in...
, a variety of pearPearThe pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
from Portugal - Rocha, UruguayRocha, Uruguay-External links:*...
and the corresponding Rocha DepartmentRocha DepartmentRocha is a department in the east of Uruguay. It has natural beauties like Cabo Polonio, Valizas, Santa Teresa. Rocha is well known for its beach towns which swell during the summer holidays... - A RochaA RochaA Rocha is an international environmental organization with a Christian ethos. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese , was founded in Portugal in 1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda...
(”the rock”), an international Christian environmental organization started in Portugal - Arocha, a Spanish family name