2000
#6,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,534
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Rolon
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Rolando, meaning "famous throughout the land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,477 Americans carry the last name Rolon. That puts it at #5,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rolon 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
6.5K
1 in 52,919
Census rank
#5,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,648 bearers of the surname Rolon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rolon
The surname ROLON is believed to have originated in Spain, with roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Spanish word "rollo," which means a roll or scroll. It is thought that the name may have been given to someone who worked with rolls of parchment or scrolls, possibly a scribe or clerk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ROLON surname is found in the Cartulario de Cardena, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardena in Burgos, Spain. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the region of Castile in northern Spain.
In the 14th century, there are records of a Juan ROLON who was a prominent merchant in the city of Seville. His success in trade likely contributed to the spread of the ROLON name throughout Andalusia and other parts of southern Spain.
During the Reconquista, when the Christian kingdoms of Spain were reclaiming territory from the Moors, a soldier named Pedro ROLON is mentioned in chronicles for his bravery in battle. He was born in 1407 in the town of Baeza, and his exploits may have helped to establish the ROLON name as one associated with valor and military service.
In the 16th century, a prominent noble family with the surname ROLON held lands in the region of Extremadura. One member of this family, Diego ROLON (1525-1589), was a respected scholar and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable figure with the ROLON surname was Maria ROLON (1670-1745), a Basque poet and playwright whose works were widely read and performed in her time. She is considered one of the earliest female authors of note in Spanish literature.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the ROLON name was carried to the Americas by settlers and conquistadors. In the 18th century, a soldier named Francisco ROLON (1712-1788) served with distinction in the Spanish colonial forces in Mexico and was granted land holdings in the region of Veracruz for his service.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures and references associated with the ROLON surname, which has its roots in medieval Spain and has since spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rolon
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rolon 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 Rolon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.6% · 5,119
- White7.1% · 401
- Black or African American1.2% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 27
- Two or more races0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rolon
Rolon 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
#6,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,658
+1,124 bearers (+24.8%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Up 771 places
2020
#5,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,648
-10 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Up 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,834 | 4,534 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,063 | 5,658 | 1.92 | +1,124 bearers (+24.8%) | Up 771 places |
| 2020 | #5,885 | 5,648 | 1.89 | -10 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 178 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 Rolon 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 | #6,063 | #5,885 | 2.9% |
| Count | 5,658 | 5,648 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.92 | 1.89 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rolon bearers went from 5,658 to 5,648 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,063 to #5,885.
FAQ
Rolon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rolon?
Name Census estimates that about 6,477 living Americans carry the surname Rolon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,919 residents.
How common is Rolon?
Rolon ranks #5,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 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 5,648 people with the surname Rolon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 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 Rolon.
Has Rolon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rolon went from 5,658 recorded bearers to 5,648. That is a decrease of 10 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,063 to #5,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Rolon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Black (1.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rolon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (5,119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rolon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.6%), White (7.1%), Black (1.2%). 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 Rolon (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 Rolon mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Rolando, meaning "famous throughout the land." 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 Rolon (1.89 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 Rolon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.