Save Type Surname (from location) Usage German Pronounced Pron. RAHK-ə-fel-ər [key] Other Forms FormsRockafeller, Rockenfeller Meaning & History Means "from Rockenfeld." Some famous bearers include founder of the Standard Oil Company and philanthropist John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937), and 41st Vice President of the U.S.A. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-1979).