2000
#6,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Rolfe
A surname of Old Norse origin, derived from the word "Hrolfr," meaning "wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,987 Americans carry the last name Rolfe. That puts it at #7,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,730 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rolfe 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rolfe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,730
Census rank
#7,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,349 bearers of the surname Rolfe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rolfe
The surname Rolfe originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'rolf' or 'rolfe', meaning 'wolf'. The name likely referred to someone who had wolf-like characteristics or displayed bravery and fierceness in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Rolfe in the county of Suffolk.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records from different regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Rolf, Rolff, and Rolfe.
The surname Rolfe has been associated with notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of the name was John Rolfe (1585-1622), an English settler in Virginia. He is best known for being the first to cultivate tobacco as a cash crop and for his marriage to Pocahontas, the daughter of the Native American chief Powhatan.
Another prominent figure with the surname Rolfe was Robert Monsey Rolfe (1786-1853), an English politician and member of parliament. He served as the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and was a prominent landowner in the county.
Baron Noel Rolfe (1888-1977) was a British soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1942 to 1944. He played a significant role in the colonial administration of the region.
In the literary world, Frederick William Rolfe (1860-1913), also known by his pseudonym Baron Corvo, was an English novelist and writer. He is best known for his autobiographical novel "Hadrian the Seventh".
John Rolfe (1942-2005) was a British actor and playwright, known for his roles in various television series and stage productions. He was a prominent figure in the British entertainment industry.
The surname Rolfe has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including politics, literature, and colonial administration. It remains a well-established surname in England and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rolfe
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rolfe 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 Rolfe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 3,682
- Black or African American6.7% · 292
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 160
- Two or more races3.7% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rolfe
Rolfe 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
#7,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,542
+50 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 446 places
2020
#7,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,349
-193 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,893 | 4,492 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,339 | 4,542 | 1.54 | +50 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 446 places |
| 2020 | #7,388 | 4,349 | 1.46 | -193 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 49 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 Rolfe 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 | #7,339 | #7,388 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,542 | 4,349 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.46 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rolfe bearers went from 4,542 to 4,349 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,339 to #7,388.
FAQ
Rolfe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rolfe?
Name Census estimates that about 4,987 living Americans carry the surname Rolfe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,730 residents.
How common is Rolfe?
Rolfe ranks #7,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,349 people with the surname Rolfe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rolfe.
Has Rolfe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rolfe went from 4,542 recorded bearers to 4,349. That is a decrease of 193 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,339 to #7,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Rolfe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolfe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Rolfe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (3,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rolfe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (6.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Rolfe (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 Rolfe mean?
A surname of Old Norse origin, derived from the word "Hrolfr," meaning "wolf." 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 Rolfe (1.46 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 surname Rolfe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.