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

Rohan, 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 Rohan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rohan in America

Rohan is the 10292nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rohan surname appeared 3,131 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rohan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rohan 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 Rohan

The surname Rohan is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Brittany. It is derived from the Breton word "roc'han," meaning "little rock" or "small cliff." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a rocky or cliff-like area.

The name Rohan can be traced back to the 11th century, when it first appeared in historical records. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a Rohan family holding lands in various parts of the country.

In the Middle Ages, the House of Rohan was a prominent noble family in Brittany. Members of this family held titles such as Duke of Rohan and Prince of Soubise. Notable figures from this family include Henri II, Duke of Rohan (1579-1638), a skilled military leader and Huguenot statesman, and his son Benjamin de Rohan (1583-1642), who served as a field marshal in the French army.

Another significant figure with the surname Rohan was Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan (1674-1749), a French cardinal and ambassador to the Holy See. He was involved in a notorious scandal known as the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace," which contributed to the downfall of the French monarchy.

In literature, the name Rohan was immortalized by J.R.R. Tolkien in his celebrated work "The Lord of the Rings." Rohan was the name of a fictional kingdom in Middle-earth, known for its skilled horsemen and warriors. This literary reference has further popularized the name in modern times.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rohan include:

1. Henri, Duke of Rohan (1579-1638), a prominent Huguenot leader and military commander during the French Wars of Religion.
2. Benjamin de Rohan (1583-1642), a French nobleman and military leader who served as a field marshal in the French army.
3. Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan (1674-1749), a French cardinal and ambassador to the Holy See, known for his involvement in the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace" scandal.
4. Louis René Édouard, Prince of Rohan-Guéméné (1734-1803), a French nobleman and courtier during the reign of Louis XVI.
5. Alexis Paul Henri, Duke of Rohan-Chabot (1786-1848), a French peer and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the Holy See.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rohan

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

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

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

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