2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rodhouse
A surname derived from a house occupied by foresters or woodsmen (also known as "rodders").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Rodhouse. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodhouse 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Rodhouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rodhouse
The surname Rodhouse originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English words 'rod' meaning a clearing or glade, and 'hus' meaning a house or dwelling. It likely referred to someone who lived in a house situated in a forest clearing or woodland area.
Earliest records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Radehus' and 'Rodehuse', spellings that reflect the regional dialects of the time. The first known bearer of the name was William Rodehouse, recorded in Suffolk county in 1273.
By the 14th century, the Rodhouse family had established itself in various regions of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. In 1327, John Rodhouse was recorded as a landowner in the village of Rodbourne, near Swindon, which may have derived its name from the family.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bore the Rodhouse surname. Sir Thomas Rodhouse (1519-1588) was a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of Bristol. His grandson, also named Thomas Rodhouse (1572-1644), was a successful lawyer and served as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire.
In the 18th century, William Rodhouse (1717-1788) was a renowned clockmaker from Gloucestershire, known for his intricate longcase clocks. His son, John Rodhouse (1744-1823), continued the family tradition and became a respected clockmaker in his own right.
Another notable figure was Sir George Rodhouse (1829-1911), a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and later became an Admiral of the Fleet. He was recognized for his contributions to naval strategy and tactics.
As families migrated and settled in different regions, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Roddhouse, Rodehous, and Rodhous. However, the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the concept of a dwelling in a clearing or woodland area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodhouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodhouse 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 Rodhouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodhouse
Rodhouse appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 2,174 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 Rodhouse 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 | #149,395 | #147,221 | 1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 113 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodhouse bearers went from 110 to 113 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 2,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,221.
FAQ
Rodhouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodhouse?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Rodhouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Rodhouse?
Rodhouse ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Rodhouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Rodhouse.
Has Rodhouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodhouse went from 110 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodhouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodhouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Rodhouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodhouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (2.7%). 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 Rodhouse (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 Rodhouse mean?
A surname derived from a house occupied by foresters or woodsmen (also known as "rodders"). 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 Rodhouse (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 Rodhouse?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Rodhouse on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.