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

Rohwer, 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 Rohwer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rohwer in America

Rohwer is the 27481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rohwer surname appeared 877 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 Rohwer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rohwer 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 Rohwer

The surname Rohwer is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the northern regions near the Netherlands. It is thought to date back to at least the 16th century, if not earlier. The name itself is derived from the Middle Low German word "rohre," which means "reed" or "cane." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near or worked with reeds or cane, perhaps in a wetland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rohwer can be found in the church records of Westphalia, Germany, from the late 1500s. The name was also found in various records and documents from the nearby regions of Lower Saxony and East Frisia during this time period.

In the 17th century, the name Rohwer began to appear in Dutch records, likely due to migration from Germany to the Netherlands. One notable individual from this era was Jan Rohwer, a merchant from Amsterdam who was born in 1628 and died in 1695.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Rohr, Rohren, and Rohrwer. In some cases, the name may have been influenced by or derived from place names containing the word "Rohr," which means "reed" or "cane" in German.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Rohwer was Hans Rohwer, born in 1510 in Oldenburg, Germany. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the name for generations.

Another notable figure was Johann Rohwer, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1645 in Göttingen. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran Church and authored several works on theology and ethics.

In the 19th century, the name Rohwer gained some prominence in the United States, as German immigrants brought the name to the new world. One such individual was Friedrich Rohwer, born in 1832 in Hannover, Germany. He immigrated to America in 1856 and eventually settled in Iowa, where he became a successful farmer and landowner.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Rohwer include Gerhard Rohwer, a German naval historian born in 1915, and Jürgen Rohwer, a German author and historian born in 1924, who specialized in military history and naval warfare.

Overall, the surname Rohwer has a rich history dating back to medieval Germany, with its origins likely rooted in the proximity to or association with reeds or cane. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over time, it has maintained a strong presence in parts of Germany, the Netherlands, and later, the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rohwer

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

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

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

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