Rossalyn
A feminine name of English origin meaning "pretty rose".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Rossalyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rossalyn today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rossalyn births was 2005 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rossalyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rossalyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
2005
6 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2015 SSA rank
#18,598
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Rossalyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rossalyn from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rossalyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rossalyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rossalyn
The name Rossalyn is a combination of two distinct elements – the English name Ross and the Germanic name Alyn. It's believed to have originated in the late 19th century as a feminine form of the name Ross.
The first part of the name, Ross, is derived from the Gaelic word "ros," which means a promontory or a headland. It was originally a Scottish surname that later became a popular given name in English-speaking countries. The name Ross has been in use since the Middle Ages and has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history.
Alyn, the second part of the name, is a Germanic name derived from the word "alen," meaning "little rock." It has been in use as a given name since the early medieval period and has been particularly popular in regions with Germanic influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rossalyn can be found in the late 19th century. In 1892, Rossalyn Farwell Cowles was born in Ohio, United States. She was a notable American educator and social reformer who played a significant role in promoting children's welfare.
Another notable figure with the name Rossalyn was Rossalyn Tureck (1914-2003), an American pianist and harpsichordist. She was renowned for her interpretations of Bach's works and made significant contributions to the revival of interest in the harpsichord in the 20th century.
In the literary world, Rossalyn Elliott (1892-1968) was an American author and journalist who wrote numerous books on travel and adventure. Her works, such as "Ghost Trails to Cali," gained popularity in the early 20th century.
The name Rossalyn has also been associated with historical figures in various fields. Rossalyn Wyss (1936-2011) was a Swiss-born American artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures. Her works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums worldwide.
Rossalyn Kelly (1939-2006) was an Australian actress and singer who gained recognition for her roles in television series and musicals in the 1960s and 1970s. She was also known for her philanthropic work and support for various charitable organizations.
While the name Rossalyn is not as common as some other names, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
People
Rossalyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rossalyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rossalyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rossalyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rossalyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Rossalyn a common name?
We classify Rossalyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rossalyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Rossalyn was 2005, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rossalyn is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rossalyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rossalyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rossalyn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rossalyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rossalyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rossalyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Rossalyn?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Rossalyn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.