2000
#11,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,648
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Robeson
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Hrothbeorht's town" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,831 Americans carry the last name Robeson. That puts it at #12,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Robeson 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 Robeson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,072
Census rank
#12,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,469 bearers of the surname Robeson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Robeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Robeson
The surname Robeson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "hrop" meaning "cry" or "shout" and "botl" meaning "dwelling" or "house." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have referred to a noisy or rowdy household or perhaps a place known for its loud inhabitants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Robeson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Robertesun." This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Other early spellings include "Robyson" and "Robynsone."
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Robeson began to appear in various historical records and documents across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. These records often referred to individuals with the name in connection with land ownership or legal proceedings.
Notable individuals with the surname Robeson throughout history include:
1. Andrew Robeson (c. 1655-1719), a Scottish-American merchant and politician who served as the Speaker of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.
2. Paul Robeson (1898-1976), an American actor, singer, and civil rights activist, renowned for his powerful performances and advocacy for social justice.
3. Esther Robeson (1627-1688), one of the first European settlers in what is now New Jersey, known for her role in establishing a settlement in the region.
4. William Robeson (1789-1854), an American politician and military officer who served as a Brigadier General during the War of 1812.
5. Anna Robeson Burr (1857-1928), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who served as the first female principal of the Philadelphia High School for Girls.
The name Robeson has also been associated with various place names, such as Robeson County in North Carolina and Robeson Township in Pennsylvania, further solidifying its historical roots and geographical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Robeson
Among Census respondents with the surname Robeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Robeson 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 Robeson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.6% · 2,015
- Black or African American8.6% · 212
- Two or more races4.2% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Robeson
Robeson 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
#11,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,659
+11 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 763 places
2020
#12,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,469
-190 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,020 | 2,648 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,783 | 2,659 | 0.90 | +11 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 763 places |
| 2020 | #12,062 | 2,469 | 0.83 | -190 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 279 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 Robeson 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 | #11,783 | #12,062 | -2.4% |
| Count | 2,659 | 2,469 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.83 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Robeson bearers went from 2,659 to 2,469 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 279 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,783 to #12,062.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Robeson
FAQ
Robeson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Robeson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,831 living Americans carry the surname Robeson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,072 residents.
How common is Robeson?
Robeson ranks #12,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,469 people with the surname Robeson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,831), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Robeson.
Has Robeson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Robeson went from 2,659 recorded bearers to 2,469. That is a decrease of 190 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,783 to #12,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Robeson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Robeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Robeson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.6% (2,015 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Robeson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.6%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Robeson (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 Robeson mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Hrothbeorht's town" in Old English. 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 Robeson (0.83 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 Robeson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.