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

Rolston, 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 Rolston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rolston in America

Rolston is the 17202nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rolston surname appeared 1,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rolston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rolston 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 Rolston

The surname Rolston is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "rolf" or "rod," meaning a clearing or pasture, and "tun," meaning a farm or settlement. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a farm or settlement located in a clearing or pasture.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rolston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Rolvestun," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Rolston.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Rolvestune" and "Rolveston" in various historical documents and records. During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, where many individuals bearing the Rolston surname lived and worked as farmers or landowners.

One notable individual with the Rolston surname was Sir John Rolston (1470-1535), who was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another historical figure was Robert Rolston (1592-1662), a Presbyterian minister and author who played a significant role in the religious affairs of Scotland during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Rolston surname was also found in the records of the East India Company, with several individuals bearing the name serving as merchants and traders in British India. One such individual was William Rolston (1732-1801), who was a successful merchant and trader based in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Another notable person with the Rolston surname was James Rolston (1806-1878), who was a prominent Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century and established several successful businesses in the textile industry.

Throughout its history, the Rolston surname has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Rolston Hall in Northumberland, Rolston Manor in Yorkshire, and Rolston Farm in Cumbria, among others. These place names often reflect the historical presence and significance of individuals bearing the Rolston surname in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rolston

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

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

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

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