2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rolwing
A surname of German origin possibly describing someone who rolls or makes cylindrical objects.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Rolwing. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rolwing 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Rolwing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolwing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rolwing
The surname ROLWING has its origins in the German language, with the earliest known records dating back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "rolwin," meaning "famous friend."
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in a medieval manuscript from the year 1387, which mentions a certain "Hans Rolwing" from the town of Augsburg. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by that time period.
During the 15th century, the ROLWING surname began to spread beyond Bavaria, with records showing families bearing this name in various parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. It is likely that the name was carried by individuals who migrated or traveled during this time.
In the early 16th century, a notable figure named Johann ROLWING (1490-1562) was born in the town of Nuremberg. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who played an influential role in the Protestant Reformation. His writings and teachings helped shape the religious landscape of the time.
Another prominent individual with the ROLWING surname was Heinrich ROLWING (1572-1638), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in the city of Leipzig. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during the Baroque period.
Moving into the 17th century, a woman named Katharina ROLWING (1621-1687) gained recognition as a skilled herbalist and healer in the region of Saxony. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies was widely sought after by the local population.
In the 18th century, the ROLWING surname can be traced to the city of Hamburg, where a merchant family by the name of ROLWING established a successful trading business. One member of this family, Johann Friedrich ROLWING (1732-1806), was particularly notable for his role in establishing trade routes with the Netherlands and England.
Another individual of note was Elise ROLWING (1789-1862), a writer and poet who lived in the German city of Weimar. Her published works, which often explored themes of nature and spirituality, garnered critical acclaim during her lifetime.
While the ROLWING surname originated in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals who emigrated or traveled to new lands. However, the earliest and most prominent historical references to this surname can be traced back to its roots in the German-speaking regions of central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rolwing
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolwing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rolwing 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 Rolwing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rolwing
Rolwing 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,364 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,364 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 294 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 Rolwing 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 | #146,201 | #146,495 | -0.2% |
| Count | 113 | 114 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rolwing bearers went from 113 to 114 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 294 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #146,495.
FAQ
Rolwing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rolwing?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Rolwing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Rolwing?
Rolwing ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Rolwing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rolwing.
Has Rolwing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rolwing went from 113 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Rolwing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolwing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Rolwing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rolwing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (1.8%). 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 Rolwing (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 Rolwing mean?
A surname of German origin possibly describing someone who rolls or makes cylindrical objects. 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 Rolwing (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Rolwing?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.