2000
#58,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Rohmer
From a topographic name for someone living near a reed bed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 329 Americans carry the last name Rohmer. That puts it at #72,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,041,806 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rohmer 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
329
1 in 1,041,806
Census rank
#72,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
287
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 287 bearers of the surname Rohmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rohmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rohmer
The surname Rohmer is of German origin, originating from the medieval German word "Rohmer," which means "one who comes from Rome." This name was likely given to individuals who had traveled to or lived in Rome during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rohmer can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It is believed that the name first appeared in the town of Rohr, which is located in the district of Regen, Bavaria. The town's name is derived from the German word "Rohr," meaning "reed" or "cane," suggesting that the area may have been known for its abundance of reeds or cane plants.
In the 14th century, the name Rohmer appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout Germany, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg. This suggests that the name had spread beyond Bavaria and was becoming more widespread.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rohmer was Johannes Rohmer, a German monk who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy, and his works were widely circulated throughout Europe.
In the 16th century, the name Rohmer gained prominence with the birth of Christoph Rohmer (1500-1568), a German Protestant reformer and theologian. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable individual with the surname Rohmer was Johann Rohmer (1630-1698), a German composer and organist. He was known for his sacred music and was highly regarded in his time.
During the 17th century, the name Rohmer also appeared in various places across Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, indicating that individuals with this surname had migrated from Germany to other regions.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Rohmer (1720-1790) was a German philosopher and writer who contributed to the Enlightenment movement. His works focused on rationalism and the pursuit of knowledge.
As the centuries passed, the surname Rohmer continued to be found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, including literature, science, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rohmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Rohmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rohmer 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 Rohmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 251
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rohmer
Rohmer 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
#62,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
-6 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 4,274 places
2020
#72,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 287
-33 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 10,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,257 | 326 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,531 | 320 | 0.11 | -6 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 4,274 places |
| 2020 | #72,902 | 287 | 0.10 | -33 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,371 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 Rohmer 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 | #62,531 | #72,902 | -16.6% |
| Count | 320 | 287 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -12.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rohmer bearers went from 320 to 287 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,531 to #72,902.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rohmer
FAQ
Rohmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rohmer?
Name Census estimates that about 329 living Americans carry the surname Rohmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,041,806 residents.
How common is Rohmer?
Rohmer ranks #72,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 287 people with the surname Rohmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (329), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Rohmer.
Has Rohmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rohmer went from 320 recorded bearers to 287. That is a decrease of 33 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #62,531 to #72,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Rohmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rohmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Rohmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (251 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rohmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (7.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Rohmer (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 Rohmer mean?
From a topographic name for someone living near a reed bed. 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 Rohmer (0.10 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 have the last name Rohmer?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Rohmer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.