Spanish for 'succor' or 'help,' from the Marian title Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Our Lady of Help).
Socorro comes from the Spanish word for help, relief, or aid — socorrer, to come to the rescue — which itself derives from the Latin succurrere, to run under, to support. The name is inseparable from its religious dimension: Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is one of the most venerated Marian titles in the Catholic world, particularly in Latin America and the Philippines. The original Byzantine icon of the same name, now housed in Rome at the Redemptorist church of Sant'Alfonso, depicts Mary holding the infant Jesus as two archangels display the instruments of the Passion — a powerful image of a mother's protective intercession.
The name spread widely through Spanish colonial territories, becoming especially beloved in Mexico, the Philippines, and throughout Central and South America. Cities and towns named Socorro dot the map of the Americas — Socorro, New Mexico was a significant stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road connecting Mexico City to the northern frontier. The name carries a warmth and purpose built directly into its meaning: to name a daughter Socorro was to invoke protection for her and to dedicate her, symbolically, to the act of helping others.
In contemporary usage, Socorro remains primarily a Spanish-language name with deep roots in Catholic heritage. It is less common among younger generations in the United States, where it reads as a name of the grandmothers and great-grandmothers, which gives it exactly the kind of vintage dignity that other cultures find in names like Florence or Mildred. Short form Coco has softened its register considerably.