Rohler last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rohler

A surname derived from the German word "rohr," meaning pipe or tube maker.

Rohler, 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 Rohler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rohler in America

Rohler is the 71478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rohler surname appeared 273 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 Rohler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rohler 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank71478666766.95%
Count273277-1.45%
Proportion per 100k0.090.10-10.53%

The history of the last name Rohler

The surname Rohler is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Rohr," which means "reed" or "cane," suggesting a possible occupational origin – someone who worked with reeds or lived near a reed-covered area.

Records indicate that the earliest known bearers of the name Rohler were concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Some variations in spelling, such as Röhler, Roehler, and Rohler, have been documented over the centuries.

While no definitive mentions of the name Rohler have been found in historical manuscripts like the Domesday Book, which primarily recorded English surnames, there are records of individuals bearing the name in various German archives and church registers from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rohler dates back to 1587, when a Johann Rohler was listed as a resident of the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) in Bavaria. Another early record is from 1612, mentioning a Hans Rohler from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, also in Bavaria.

In the 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Rohler (1720-1789) was a German philosopher and writer who published several works on ethics and moral philosophy. He was born in Leipzig and spent much of his life in Saxony.

During the 19th century, the name Rohler appeared in various parts of Germany, with some bearers of the name immigrating to other countries, including the United States and Canada. One prominent individual was Karl Rohler (1819-1891), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

Another significant figure was Gustav Rohler (1855-1932), a German engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early diesel engines and internal combustion technology.

In the 20th century, Erwin Rohler (1907-1985) was a German-born physicist who worked on nuclear research and helped develop the first nuclear reactor in the United States.

While the Rohler surname may not be among the most common in Germany or other parts of the world, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have made noteworthy contributions in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rohler

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

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 Rohler was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only92.31%252
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only1.83%5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.56%7
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Rohler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White92.31%95.67%-3.57%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander1.83%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.56%2.53%1.18%
Hispanic(S)%0.00%(S)%

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

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

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