2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Roork
An English surname possibly derived from Old English words meaning either dweller by the rooks or from the place name meaning dweller by the rookery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Roork. 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 Roork 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 Roork 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 Roork, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roork
The surname ROORK is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word 'roc', which means a rock or rocky place. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a rocky or stony area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Roc'. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms such as Roke, Rooke, and eventually ROORK.
During the 13th century, a branch of the family is believed to have settled in the village of Rooksbridge, located in Somerset. This place name likely derives from the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and rocky or stony areas.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named John ROORK was mentioned in the records of the city of Bristol. He was a successful merchant and landowner, indicating that the family had achieved a certain level of status and wealth by that time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas ROORK, who lived during the 16th century. He was a military commander and played a significant role in the English Civil War, fighting on the side of the Parliamentarians against King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the ROORK family continued to gain prominence, with several members becoming involved in politics and public service. One such individual was William ROORK, who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton from 1754 to 1768.
During the 19th century, the name was also associated with the literary world. Charles ROORK was a renowned poet and playwright who published several works that were widely acclaimed during his lifetime, which spanned from 1820 to 1896.
While the ROORK surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the earliest recorded instances and the historical significance of the name can be traced back to its English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roork
Among Census respondents with the surname Roork, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Roork 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 Roork surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 100
- Two or more races9.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roork
Roork 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-11 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,655 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 20,655 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 7,274 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 Roork 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 | #153,769 | #146,495 | 4.7% |
| Count | 106 | 114 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roork bearers went from 106 to 114 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 7,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #146,495.
FAQ
Roork surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roork?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Roork. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Roork?
Roork 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 Roork. 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 Roork.
Has Roork become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roork went from 106 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Roork?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roork, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Roork in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roork appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (9.6%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Roork (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 Roork mean?
An English surname possibly derived from Old English words meaning either dweller by the rooks or from the place name meaning dweller by the rookery. 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 Roork (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 common is the surname Roork?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Roork, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.