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

Rookwood, 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 Rookwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rookwood in America

Rookwood is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rookwood surname appeared 170 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rookwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rookwood 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 Rookwood

The surname Rookwood is of English origin, stemming from the topographic name 'Rookwood', referring to a location where rooks (a type of crow) were found in abundance. This name dates back to the late 11th century in England.

Rookwood is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'hroc' meaning rook (the bird) and 'wudu' meaning wood or forest. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Rocvuode', referring to a place in Suffolk, England.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Walter de Rokewod, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1195. Another early record is of William de Rokewode, who was documented in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

The Rookwood surname is also associated with several notable historical figures. Sir Ambrose Rookwood (1594-1606) was an English Catholic conspirator involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He was executed for his role in the plot.

Edward Rookwood (1760-1835) was an English antiquarian and topographer who authored several works on the history and antiquities of Suffolk. Another notable bearer was Joseph Rookwood (1788-1868), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the early 19th century.

In the United States, Ebenezer Rookwood (1672-1756) was one of the earliest Rookwoods, settling in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 17th century. He was among the founders of the town of Groton, Connecticut.

The Rookwood surname has also been associated with various place names, including Rookwood in Hampshire, England, and Rookwood in Sydney, Australia, which was named after the prominent Rookwood family of Yorkshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rookwood

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

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

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

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