2000
#7,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,952
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Rolle
An occupational surname for a person who made or sold parchment scrolls or rolls of paper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,336 Americans carry the last name Rolle. That puts it at #6,960 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,234 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rolle 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 Rolle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,234
Census rank
#6,960
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,653 bearers of the surname Rolle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6960th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rolle
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rolle 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 Rolle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American73.8% · 3,436
- White14.1% · 654
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 228
- Two or more races4.9% · 228
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rolle
Rolle 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
#6,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,819
+867 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 792 places
2020
#6,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,653
-166 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,752 | 3,952 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,960 | 4,819 | 1.63 | +867 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 792 places |
| 2020 | #6,960 | 4,653 | 1.56 | -166 bearers (-3.4%) | No rank change |
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 Rolle 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 | #6,960 | #6,960 | 0.0% |
| Count | 4,819 | 4,653 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.56 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rolle bearers went from 4,819 to 4,653 (-3.4% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #6,960.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rolle
FAQ
Rolle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rolle?
Name Census estimates that about 5,336 living Americans carry the surname Rolle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,234 residents.
How common is Rolle?
Rolle ranks #6,960 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,653 people with the surname Rolle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rolle.
Has Rolle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rolle went from 4,819 recorded bearers to 4,653. That is a decrease of 166 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it stayed at #6,960.
What does the Census say about the background of Rolle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.1%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rolle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.8% (3,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rolle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (73.8%), White (14.1%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Rolle (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 Rolle mean?
An occupational surname for a person who made or sold parchment scrolls or rolls of paper. 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 Rolle (1.56 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 Rolle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.