 The name was first recorded in 961 as "Rupella", from a Latin diminutive meaning 'little rock', and was later known as "Rocella" and "Roscella" before the name took on its current form.The establishment of La Rochelle as a harbour was a consequence of the victory of Duke Guillaume X of Aquitaine over Isambert de Châtelaillon in 1130 and the subsequent destruction of his harbour of Châtelaillon.In 1137, Guillaume X to all intents and purposes made La Rochelle a free port and gave it the right to establish itself as a commune.