Rolle last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rolle

An occupational surname for a person who made or sold parchment scrolls or rolls of paper.

Rolle, 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 Rolle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rolle in America

Rolle is the 6960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rolle surname appeared 4,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rolle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rolle 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 6960 7752 -10.77%
Count 4,819 3,952 19.77%
Proportion per 100k 1.63 1.46 11.00%

The history of the last name Rolle

The surname Rolle originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old French word "rolle," meaning a roll or scroll. This name likely referred to an occupation involving rolls or scrolls, such as a scribe or a legal clerk.

The earliest recorded instance of the Rolle surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Rolle." This suggests that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the Rolle surname was Richard Rolle (c. 1300-1349), an English spiritual writer and hermit who was known for his religious works, including "The Form of Living" and "The Fire of Love."

Another prominent individual with the Rolle surname was John Rolle (c. 1484-1556), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Henry VIII. He was known for his involvement in the trials of prominent figures like Thomas More and Anne Boleyn.

The Rolle family also had a strong presence in Devon, England, where they held the estate of Stevenstone near Great Torrington. One notable member of this branch was Denys Rolle (1614-1638), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Callington in Cornwall.

In the 18th century, John Rolle (1679-1730) was a prominent figure from the Rolle family. He was a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Devon, known for his involvement in the development of agriculture and industry in the region.

Another notable figure with the Rolle surname was Samuel Rolle (1738-1819), an English-born judge and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the Bahamas and was involved in the abolition of the slave trade in the British colonies.

The Rolle surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as France and Germany, where it may have originated from similar occupational roots or from place names like Rolle in Switzerland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rolle

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

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 Rolle was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 17.56% 846
Non-Hispanic Black Only 73.13% 3,524
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.87% 90
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.15% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.51% 169
Hispanic Origin 3.80% 183

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 17.56% 17.74% -1.02%
Black 73.13% 75.10% -2.66%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.87% 1.42% 27.36%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.15% 0.23% -42.11%
Two or More Races 3.51% 3.21% 8.93%
Hispanic 3.80% 2.30% 49.18%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Rolle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rolle-surname-popularity/.

"Rolle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rolle-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Rolle last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rolle-surname-popularity/.

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