2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Roachell
A surname likely derived from an Old German word meaning "dweller by the rushes".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Roachell. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roachell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Roachell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roachell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roachell
The surname Roachell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "roc" meaning rook (a type of bird) and the suffix "-el," which was a diminutive form commonly added to surnames at the time. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a place where rooks were abundant or may have been a nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion, resembling the color of a rook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Roachell name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273. The entry mentions a certain "Robertus Rochel," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the Roachell surname.
In the 14th century, the Roachell name appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, which listed a "Willelmus Rokhyll," and the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1346, where a "Johannes Rochulle" was mentioned.
During the Tudor period, the Roachell surname was associated with several notable figures, including Sir John Rochell (c. 1515-1580), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, and Thomas Roachell (c. 1530-1605), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
In the 17th century, the Roachell name gained further prominence with the birth of William Roachell (1622-1688), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy. Another notable figure from this era was Sir Edward Roachell (1639-1711), a Member of Parliament and supporter of the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
As the surname spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, its spelling evolved, with variations such as Rochell, Roachel, and Roachil appearing in various historical records. Some of these variants may have been influenced by the proximity of certain areas to places with similar-sounding names, such as the village of Rochdale in Greater Manchester.
Throughout the centuries, the Roachell surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including clergymen, scholars, merchants, and politicians. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, its rich history and the accomplishments of those who bore it have left an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roachell
Among Census respondents with the surname Roachell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Roachell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Roachell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 91
- Two or more races11.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roachell
Roachell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+10 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 767 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 767 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,524 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Roachell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #148,665 | -3.1% |
| Count | 115 | 111 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roachell bearers went from 115 to 111 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #148,665.
FAQ
Roachell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roachell?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Roachell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Roachell?
Roachell ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Roachell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Roachell.
Has Roachell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roachell went from 115 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Roachell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roachell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Roachell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roachell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Two or More Races (11.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Roachell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Roachell mean?
A surname likely derived from an Old German word meaning "dweller by the rushes". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Roachell (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Roachell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.