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

Rohloff, 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 Rohloff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rohloff in America

Rohloff is the 16958th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rohloff surname appeared 1,676 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 Rohloff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rohloff 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 Rohloff

The surname Rohloff originates from Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "rod" and "lof," which together translate to "clearing in the woods." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have lived in or near a settlement established in a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rohloff name appears in the Stadtbuch (city book) of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany, from the year 1362. This entry references a certain "Hinrich Rodeloff," likely an early variation of the modern spelling.

In the 16th century, the Rohloff name surfaced in various church records and tax rolls across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. Notable bearers from this era include Hans Rohloff (1510-1572), a respected merchant and alderman in the city of Rostock.

The 17th century saw the Rohloff surname spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Poland and the Netherlands. One prominent figure was Johann Rohloff (1629-1704), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Schwerin.

As the centuries progressed, the Rohloff name continued to be found across Germany and beyond. In the 19th century, Friedrich Wilhelm Rohloff (1805-1871) achieved recognition as a noted architect and civil engineer, contributing to the design of several prominent buildings in Berlin.

Other notable individuals with the Rohloff surname include the German painter and illustrator Max Rohloff (1884-1954), renowned for his depictions of rural life and landscapes, and the Polish-born author and playwright Jerzy Rohloff (1928-2004), whose works explored themes of identity and cultural displacement.

While the Rohloff name has evolved over time and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the forests of medieval Germany, where its earliest bearers likely established a homestead or settlement in a newly cleared woodland area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rohloff

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

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

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

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