2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Roadhouse
A surname derived from a reference to someone living near or operating a roadside inn or tavern.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Roadhouse. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roadhouse 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Roadhouse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Roadhouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roadhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roadhouse
The surname Roadhouse is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "rad" (meaning road or path) and "hus" (meaning house or dwelling). It was likely an occupational name given to individuals who lived or worked near a dwelling situated along a major road or highway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Roadhouse can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Essex from the year 1273, where it was spelled as "Rodehous." This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Rodehuse" and "Rodhuys," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time period.
The Roadhouse surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded figures was John Roadhouse, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the city's records in the late 15th century.
Another prominent individual with this surname was William Roadhouse, a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars during the early 19th century. He was born in 1785 and participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
In the 19th century, the Roadhouse surname gained prominence with the rise of Thomas Roadhouse, an English architect and surveyor. He was born in 1825 and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the St. Pancras Railway Station.
The late 19th century saw the emergence of Samuel Roadhouse, a Canadian politician and businessman. Born in 1844, he served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and played a significant role in the development of the city of Toronto.
In the 20th century, one of the most notable individuals with the Roadhouse surname was Christopher Roadhouse, a British actor and writer. Born in 1936, he appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the popular series "Doctor Who."
While the Roadhouse surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roadhouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Roadhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Roadhouse 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 Roadhouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roadhouse
Roadhouse 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,013 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 14,013 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,943 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 Roadhouse 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 | #137,327 | #144,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roadhouse bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #144,270.
FAQ
Roadhouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roadhouse?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Roadhouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Roadhouse?
Roadhouse ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Roadhouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Roadhouse.
Has Roadhouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roadhouse went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Roadhouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roadhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Roadhouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roadhouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Roadhouse (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 Roadhouse mean?
A surname derived from a reference to someone living near or operating a roadside inn or tavern. 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 Roadhouse (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 Americans have the surname Roadhouse?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.