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

Roe, 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 Roe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roe in America

Roe is the 1406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roe surname appeared 25,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Roe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roe 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 Roe

The surname Roe is derived from a Norman personal name that originated in France. It likely developed as a nickname from the Old French word "roi", meaning "king". One of the earliest known references to the surname dates back to the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror.

The name Roe is thought to have been introduced to England during the Norman Conquest in 1066. It was initially used as a personal name before gradually evolving into a hereditary surname. The earliest recorded examples of the name include Robert Roi, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1166, and Ralph le Roe, documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

Several notable individuals with the surname Roe have left their mark throughout history. One such figure was Nathaniel Roe (1577-1655), an English merchant and diplomat who served as an ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 17th century. Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Roe (1581-1644), an English diplomat and scholar who served as an ambassador to the Mughal Empire in India.

Other historical figures with the surname Roe include Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888), an American novelist and clergyman known for his sentimental novels, and Richard Roe (fl. 1650s), a fictional name used in English law reports to represent the defendant in legal proceedings. Additionally, George Michael Roe (1898-1980) was a Canadian politician and judge who served as the 18th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1957 to 1964.

The surname Roe has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For example, the village of Roe in Lancashire, England, is believed to have derived its name from the Old English word "ra" or "roe", meaning a rough or untamed area. Similarly, the Roe Valley in Northern Ireland likely takes its name from the same Old English root.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roe

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

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 Roe 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 Roe 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 Roe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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