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

Roosevelt, 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 Roosevelt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roosevelt in America

Roosevelt is the 24822nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roosevelt surname appeared 1,003 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 Roosevelt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roosevelt 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 Roosevelt

The surname Roosevelt is of Dutch origin, derived from the Dutch town of Rooseveldt in the province of Zeeland, Netherlands. The name is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century. The town's name is thought to be derived from the Dutch words "roos" (rose) and "veld" (field), meaning "rose field" or "field of roses."

The earliest known record of the Roosevelt surname dates back to the 17th century, when several members of the family emigrated from the Netherlands to the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which later became part of New York. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Claes Martenszen van Rosenvelt, who arrived in New Netherland in the 1640s.

In the late 17th century, the Roosevelt family established themselves as prominent landowners and merchants in New York City and the surrounding area. One notable member of the family was Isaac Roosevelt (1726-1794), a successful businessman and politician who served as a member of the New York Provincial Congress during the American Revolutionary War.

The Roosevelt surname gained significant prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to the political careers of two cousins, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). Theodore Roosevelt served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909, while Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the 32nd President from 1933 to 1945, leading the nation through the Great Depression and World War II.

Other notable individuals with the Roosevelt surname include Anna Roosevelt Cowles (1855-1931), the older sister of Theodore Roosevelt and an author and philanthropist; Edith Roosevelt (1861-1948), the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt and a prominent socialite; and Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt and a renowned diplomat, activist, and First Lady of the United States.

Over the centuries, the Roosevelt surname has spread across various parts of the world, with branches of the family establishing roots in countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Despite its Dutch origins, the name has become closely associated with American history and politics, particularly due to the prominence of the Roosevelt political dynasty.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roosevelt

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

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

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

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