Hello - the word comes from the italian word - rocchetta - which means spindle. The first historic use of rocket was in China ( ca 1230 ). "spindle" because the rocket has a form of a historic spindle - which was used spinning wool or linen to a thread.
Rocket is derived from the Italian word "rochetta," literally meaning a spool or bobbin. "Rochetta" comes from "rocca," a cylindrical staff used in the process of spinning fibers into yarn.