2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Roelse
Dutch surname derived from a nickname for a slender or small person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Roelse. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roelse 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Roelse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roelse, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roelse
The surname ROELSE has its origins in the Netherlands, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "roels," which was a diminutive form of the name "Rudolf" or "Rodolphe." This name ultimately traces its roots back to the Germanic words "rod" and "wolf," meaning "famous wolf."
One of the earliest documented instances of the ROELSE surname can be found in the records of the city of Amsterdam from the late 1500s. It is likely that the name originated in this region and then spread to other parts of the Netherlands over time. In some historical documents, the name was also spelled as "Roelfs" or "Roelofs," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the ROELSE surname was Jan Roelse, a Dutch engraver and printmaker who was active in Amsterdam between 1630 and 1650. His works, which included portraits and religious scenes, were highly sought after by collectors of his time.
In the 18th century, the ROELSE name appears in the records of the Dutch East India Company, suggesting that some individuals with this surname may have been involved in the Netherlands' extensive maritime trade and colonial activities during this period.
One of the most prominent individuals with the ROELSE surname was Pieter Roelse, a Dutch naval officer who served as a captain in the Royal Netherlands Navy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He played a significant role in several naval battles against the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
Another notable figure was Johannes Roelse, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1785 to 1864. He was a prominent scholar and author, publishing several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In more recent times, the ROELSE surname has been associated with various individuals in fields such as academia, business, and the arts. For example, Dirk Roelse was a Dutch artist and sculptor who was active in the early 20th century, known for his works in bronze and stone.
While the ROELSE surname has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its historical origins and connections to Dutch culture and history remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roelse
Among Census respondents with the surname Roelse, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Roelse 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 Roelse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roelse
Roelse 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,525 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,525 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Roelse 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roelse bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Roelse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roelse?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Roelse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Roelse?
Roelse ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Roelse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Roelse.
Has Roelse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roelse went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Roelse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roelse, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Roelse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roelse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Roelse (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 Roelse mean?
Dutch surname derived from a nickname for a slender or small person. 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 Roelse (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 share the surname Roelse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.