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

Roof, 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 Roof surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roof in America

Roof is the 7406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roof surname appeared 4,494 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 Roof.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roof 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 Roof

The surname "ROOF" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and can be traced back to the Old English word "hrof", meaning "roof" or "covering". It was likely initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived or worked under a particular roof or dwelling.

This surname first appeared in England during the medieval period, as early as the 11th century. One of the earliest records of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and property holders in England after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Roufe" or "Roffe", reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. Place names such as Rufforth in Yorkshire may have influenced the development of the surname in certain regions.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Roof (c. 1520-1585), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Norwich. He played a significant role in the Reformation and was a prominent figure during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another early example is Thomas Roof (c. 1560-1630), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Ruffe". One notable Scot bearing this name was James Ruffe (1712-1782), a poet and author who wrote works on agriculture and rural life.

In the 19th century, the surname spread to other parts of the English-speaking world through emigration. One notable American with this surname was John Roof (1828-1912), a prominent businessman and banker in Pennsylvania.

Another notable figure was James Roof (1857-1932), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roof

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

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

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

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