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

Rook, 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 Rook surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rook in America

Rook is the 7165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rook surname appeared 4,668 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 Rook.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rook 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 Rook

The surname Rook is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hroc," meaning a rook, which is a type of crow. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who had a resemblance to the bird or lived in an area where rooks were abundant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rook can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Rogerus Roc is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the Old English word "hroc."

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Rok, Roke, and Rooke, in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas le Roke.

The Rook surname has been associated with various place names in England, including Rooksbridge in Somerset and Rookesbury in Hampshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of rooks in those areas, and individuals may have adopted the surname based on their association with these locations.

One notable bearer of the Rook surname was Sir Thomas Rook (c. 1570-1637), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Wallingford during the reign of King James I. Another notable figure was Thomas Rook (1651-1744), an English dissenting minister and author of several theological works.

In the 17th century, the surname Rook appeared in various colonial records in America, suggesting that individuals with this surname were among the early settlers in the New World. One example is John Rook, who arrived in Virginia in 1634.

In the 18th century, the name was found in various records across England, including the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Alverstoke, Hampshire, which mentions the baptism of William Rook in 1718.

Other notable bearers of the Rook surname include Edward Rook (1726-1782), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Brackley, and John Rook (1770-1838), an English engraver and artist who produced illustrations for various publications.

Throughout its history, the surname Rook has maintained its connection to the Old English word "hroc" and the bird of the same name, making it a distinctive English surname with a rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rook

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

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

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

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