2000
#63,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Rockoff
A Russian surname possibly derived from a place of origin or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 328 Americans carry the last name Rockoff. That puts it at #73,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,044,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rockoff 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
328
1 in 1,044,983
Census rank
#73,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
286
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 286 bearers of the surname Rockoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rockoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rockoff
The surname Rockoff has its origins in the German language, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the word "Rock," which referred to an outer garment or cloak worn by men at the time. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who were known for their distinctive attire.
One of the earliest mentions of the Rockoff surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Wittenberg, in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1593, a certain Hans Rockoff was listed as a resident of the town, indicating that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
As the Rockoff family spread throughout central Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Rockof, Rockhoffe, and Rockhoff. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal preferences.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Rockoff name was Johann Rockoff, a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. Born in 1612 in Saxony, Johann Rockoff made significant contributions to the study of theology and authored several works on Protestant doctrine.
Another historically significant individual with the Rockoff surname was Friedrich Rockoff, a German military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Friedrich Rockoff was born in 1778 in the Prussian town of Schmalkalden and served as a lieutenant in the Prussian Army during the campaigns against Napoleon's forces.
As the 19th century dawned, the Rockoff family continued to expand throughout Germany and neighboring regions. In 1842, a man named Wilhelm Rockoff was born in the town of Mainz, located in the Rhineland region. Wilhelm Rockoff went on to become a prominent architect, designing several notable buildings in the city of Frankfurt am Main.
Across the Atlantic, the Rockoff name also found its way to the United States, with immigrants arriving from Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Karl Rockoff, who was born in 1871 in the German state of Bavaria and later immigrated to New York City in the 1890s.
While the prevalence of the Rockoff surname has remained relatively modest throughout history, it has left an indelible mark on various fields, from theology and military service to architecture and beyond. The name serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of German heritage and the enduring influence of linguistic and cultural traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rockoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Rockoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rockoff 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 Rockoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 265
- Two or more races3.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rockoff
Rockoff 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
#69,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
-11 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 5,873 places
2020
#73,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 286
+2 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 3,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,297 | 295 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,170 | 284 | 0.10 | -11 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 5,873 places |
| 2020 | #73,107 | 286 | 0.10 | +2 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 3,937 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 Rockoff 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 | #69,170 | #73,107 | -5.7% |
| Count | 284 | 286 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rockoff bearers went from 284 to 286 (+0.7% change). The surname moved down 3,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,170 to #73,107.
FAQ
Rockoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rockoff?
Name Census estimates that about 328 living Americans carry the surname Rockoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,044,983 residents.
How common is Rockoff?
Rockoff ranks #73,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 286 people with the surname Rockoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Rockoff.
Has Rockoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rockoff went from 284 recorded bearers to 286. That is an increase of 2 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #69,170 to #73,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Rockoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rockoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Rockoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (265 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rockoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Rockoff (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 Rockoff mean?
A Russian surname possibly derived from a place of origin or occupation. 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 Rockoff (0.10 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 surname Rockoff?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.