2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rocklein
A German surname originating from "rock" and "lein" meaning small rocky place or field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Rocklein. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rocklein 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Rocklein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocklein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rocklein
The surname ROCKLEIN is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, located in modern-day Germany, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "roc," which means "rock" or "stone," combined with the German suffix "-lein," denoting a diminutive form, essentially translating to "little rock" or "small stone."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ROCKLEIN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where a certain "Heinricus Rocklein" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Inning am Ammersee, located in Upper Bavaria.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the ROCKLEIN surname was Konrad ROCKLEIN, a skilled stonemason and architect who played a significant role in the construction of the famous Frauenkirche cathedral in Munich, which still stands as an iconic landmark today.
During the 16th century, the ROCKLEIN family gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the metalworking and goldsmithing trades. Hans ROCKLEIN (1490-1568), a renowned goldsmith and engraver, was particularly renowned for his intricate and highly detailed works of art.
Another notable individual with the ROCKLEIN surname was Johanna ROCKLEIN (1625-1702), a prominent entrepreneur and businesswoman who established a successful textile trade in the city of Augsburg, becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential merchants of her time.
In the 18th century, the ROCKLEIN family expanded their reach beyond Bavaria, with members settling in various parts of Germany and Austria. One such individual was Johann Michael ROCKLEIN (1736-1804), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the imperial court of Vienna.
While the ROCKLEIN surname may not be as widely recognized as some other German surnames, its rich history and association with skilled craftsmen, architects, and influential figures in various fields have contributed to its enduring legacy throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rocklein
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocklein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rocklein 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 Rocklein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rocklein
Rocklein 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,312 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-8 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,312 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 7,786 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 Rocklein 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 | #143,149 | #150,935 | -5.4% |
| Count | 116 | 108 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rocklein bearers went from 116 to 108 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 7,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,935.
FAQ
Rocklein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rocklein?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Rocklein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Rocklein?
Rocklein ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Rocklein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Rocklein.
Has Rocklein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rocklein went from 116 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Rocklein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rocklein, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Rocklein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rocklein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Rocklein (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 Rocklein mean?
A German surname originating from "rock" and "lein" meaning small rocky place or field. 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 Rocklein (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 have the last name Rocklein?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Rocklein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.