- Origin: English
- Meaning: “rook wood.”
- Gender: Male
- First Est. 19th-century
From an English place-name and surname, it is composed of the Anglo-Saxon elements, hrōc (rook) and holt (wood).
As a given-name, it came into rare use in the mid 19th-century. An early notable bearer was American artist and sculptor, Rockwell Kent (1882-1971).
Norman Rockwell, iconic American painter and illustrator, gives the name a wholesome, Americana vibe.
There is also: Rockwell (stage name of Kennedy Gordy), Motown singer of “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984).
Solid and modern, with the fashionable -well ending, if you love Maxwell but find it too common, then this might be the right choice for you. It is rugged yet refined — equally at home in an art gallery or on a hiking trail.
A fun short form is Rock or Rocky.
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