Find out how popular the last name Rockower is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rockower.

Rockower, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rockower surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rockower in America

Rockower is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rockower surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rockower.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rockower to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rockower

The surname Rockower is believed to have originated in Germany, likely during the late Middle Ages or early modern period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place or region, though the exact location from which it stems is unclear.

One theory suggests that the name is a variant of the German surname Rockauer, which may have its roots in the town of Rockhausen or Rockau, both located in the German state of Saxony. These place names are derived from the German words "Rocco" or "Rock," which refer to a rocky or rocky area.

Another possibility is that the name is related to the German word "Rocken," meaning "distaff" or "spindle," which could indicate that the surname's origins are occupational, referring to someone who worked with spinning or weaving.

The earliest known record of the Rockower surname dates back to the 16th century, when a person named Hans Rockower was mentioned in a church register in the town of Erfurt, in the present-day German state of Thuringia, in 1576.

One notable bearer of the Rockower name was Johann Rockower, a German composer and organist who lived from 1610 to 1668. He was known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque style of music.

Another individual with this surname was Friedrich Rockower, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1738 to 1809. He is best known for his work on ethics and morality.

In the 19th century, a man named Wilhelm Rockower (1822-1897) gained recognition as a German businessman and industrialist, having founded a successful textile manufacturing company.

Moving into the 20th century, a notable figure was Kurt Rockower (1902-1988), a German-American engineer and scientist who made significant contributions to the field of aeronautics and aerospace engineering.

It is worth mentioning that the surname Rockower, while not exceptionally rare, is not among the most common surnames in Germany or other parts of Europe. However, it has been carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rockower

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rockower.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rockower was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rockower has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rockower was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rockower, please contact us.

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