2000
#14,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,931
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Ros
A Spanish and Catalan nickname derived from the word "ros," meaning "red" or "ruddy," likely referring to red hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,783 Americans carry the last name Ros. That puts it at #12,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,160 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ros 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ros with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,160
Census rank
#12,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,427 bearers of the surname Ros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ros, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.9%) and White (17.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ros
The surname Ros has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Catalan word "ros," meaning "red-haired" or "reddish." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with reddish hair or complexion.
In the early days, the name was spelled in various ways, such as Ros, Roz, Rosse, and Roig. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, where it was particularly prevalent during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ros can be found in the Llibre del Repartiment, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista.
The surname Ros has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Ramon de Ros, a Catalan nobleman who lived in the 13th century and served as a military commander during the Reconquest of Valencia.
Another prominent individual bearing this name was Pedro Ros de Ursinos, a Spanish admiral and diplomat from the 16th century, who played a significant role in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
In the 17th century, Juan Ros de Olano was a Spanish writer and historian who authored several works on the history of Valencia and its nobility.
Moving to the 18th century, José Ros de Olano y Peralta (1670-1738) was a Spanish military officer and viceroy of New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama) from 1719 to 1723.
In the 19th century, Joaquín Ros de Olano (1808-1886) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and the Interior during the reign of Queen Isabella II.
Over the centuries, the surname Ros has spread beyond Spain and can be found in various parts of Europe, Latin America, and other regions with Spanish influence. However, its origins and early development can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, particularly the regions of Catalonia and Valencia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ros
Among Census respondents with the surname Ros, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.9%) and White (17.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ros 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 Ros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander53.0% · 1,286
- Hispanic or Latino23.9% · 580
- White17.9% · 435
- Two or more races2.9% · 71
- Black or African American2.1% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ros
Ros 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
#13,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,213
+282 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 568 places
2020
#12,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
+214 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 1,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,250 | 1,931 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,682 | 2,213 | 0.75 | +282 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 568 places |
| 2020 | #12,239 | 2,427 | 0.81 | +214 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 1,443 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 Ros 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 | #13,682 | #12,239 | 10.5% |
| Count | 2,213 | 2,427 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.81 | 8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ros bearers went from 2,213 to 2,427 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 1,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,682 to #12,239.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ros
FAQ
Ros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ros?
Name Census estimates that about 2,783 living Americans carry the surname Ros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,160 residents.
How common is Ros?
Ros ranks #12,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,427 people with the surname Ros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ros.
Has Ros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ros went from 2,213 recorded bearers to 2,427. That is an increase of 214 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,682 to #12,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Ros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ros, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.9%) and White (17.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.0% (1,286 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (53.0%), Hispanic (23.9%), White (17.9%). 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 Ros (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 Ros mean?
A Spanish and Catalan nickname derived from the word "ros," meaning "red" or "ruddy," likely referring to red hair or complexion. 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 Ros (0.81 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 many people share the surname Ros?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.