2000
#95,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Roosma
An Estonian surname derived from the personal name Roosi.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 261 Americans carry the last name Roosma. That puts it at #87,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,313,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roosma 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
261
1 in 1,313,235
Census rank
#87,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
228
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 228 bearers of the surname Roosma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roosma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roosma
The surname Roosma originated in Estonia, a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 13th century. The name is derived from the Estonian word "roos," meaning "rose," and the suffix "-ma," which is a common ending for Estonian surnames.
Historical records indicate that the name Roosma was first documented in the 14th century, when it appeared in the Liber Census Daniae, an ancient Danish census record. This suggests that the name may have been present in Estonia during the period of Danish rule over the region.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Andres Roosma, a farmer who lived in the village of Karuse in western Estonia in the late 15th century. Records from the time mention him as a landowner and a respected member of the local community.
In the 16th century, the name Roosma is found in the Wackenbucher, a series of registers documenting peasant landholdings in the Baltic provinces of the Swedish Empire. These records provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during this period.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals bearing the surname Roosma emerged. One such person was Jüri Roosma (1632-1702), a Lutheran pastor and author who wrote extensively on theological matters. Another was Katarina Roosma (1705-1778), a landowner and philanthropist known for her charitable works in the region of Viljandi.
In the 19th century, the name Roosma gained further prominence with the birth of Jaan Roosma (1824-1892), a prominent Estonian writer and journalist. His works played a significant role in the development of Estonian literature and the promotion of national identity.
Other notable individuals with the surname Roosma include Aleksander Roosma (1887-1944), a military officer who served in the Estonian War of Independence, and Helga Roosma (1923-2018), a renowned artist and sculptor whose works are displayed in museums and galleries across Estonia.
Throughout its history, the surname Roosma has maintained its strong ties to Estonia, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the country. While the name may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, its roots remain firmly grounded in the Estonian language and identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roosma
Among Census respondents with the surname Roosma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Roosma 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 Roosma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 211
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 8
- Black or African American1.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roosma
Roosma 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
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
+16 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 780 places
2020
#87,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 228
+34 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 6,687 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #95,091 | 178 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | +16 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 780 places |
| 2020 | #87,624 | 228 | 0.08 | +34 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 6,687 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 Roosma 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 | #94,311 | #87,624 | 7.1% |
| Count | 194 | 228 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roosma bearers went from 194 to 228 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 6,687 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #87,624.
FAQ
Roosma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roosma?
Name Census estimates that about 261 living Americans carry the surname Roosma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,313,235 residents.
How common is Roosma?
Roosma ranks #87,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 228 people with the surname Roosma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Roosma.
Has Roosma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roosma went from 194 recorded bearers to 228. That is an increase of 34 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #94,311 to #87,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Roosma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roosma, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Roosma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (211 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roosma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Black (1.8%). 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 Roosma (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 Roosma mean?
An Estonian surname derived from the personal name Roosi. 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 Roosma (0.08 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 Roosma?
If you just want to know how common the surname Roosma is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.