Rosand
A surname derived from a location name or derived from a rose flower.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Rosand. That puts it at #140,756 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosand 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.
Rosand appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#140,756
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Rosand in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140756th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosand, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosand
The surname Rosand finds its origins in Scandinavia, specifically in Norway. The name is believed to stem from old Norse language, which was spoken up until around the 14th century. In terms of geographical affiliation, Rosand likely originated in the southern or western coastal areas of Norway, where old Norse names were prevalent.
The etymology of Rosand can be dissected into "ros" and "and." The component "ros" could be related to the Old Norse word "hross," meaning horse, indicating a connection to farming or horsemanship. Alternatively, it could relate to "ros," meaning praise or glory, suggesting that the bearer or their ancestors were persons of honor. The suffix "and" could derive from Old Norse "andr," meaning breath or spirit, implying vitality or life.
Among the earliest records, there are mentions in medieval Norwegian manuscripts dating back to the 13th century, where variations of the surname appear either in religious texts or administrative documents. The name, or its variants, may have turned up in runestone inscriptions, a common practice at the time in Scandinavian cultures.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Knut Rosand, born around 1570, a landowner and farmer in the Vestfold region of Norway. His presence in regional tax records around 1605 marks one of the earliest documented instances of the name. Another early figure was Sigrid Rosand, born approximately 1630, who was known for her involvement in local Norse folklore and ballads that were documented in handwritten compilations from the late 17th century.
The surname also appears in maritime records. Gunnar Rosand, born in 1752, was a well-known shipbuilder in Bergen and contributed significantly to Norway's maritime industry in the late 18th century. His innovations in ship design are well documented in ship registries of the era, illustrating the unique contributions of individuals with this surname to Norwegian history.
In the realm of literature, Helene Rosand, born in 1830, authored several notable works on Norwegian culture and tradition in the late 19th century. Her writings often captured the essence of Norwegian rural life and are preserved in national archives, marking an intellectual contribution under this surname.
Moving into the early 20th century, Karl Rosand, born in 1885, gained recognition as an influential political figure involved in the labor movement in Oslo. His advocacy for workers' rights and participation in establishing local trade unions were frequently reported in newspapers and journals of the era, securing his place in the historical narrative of the name.
Through these historical references, the surname Rosand emerges as not only a marker of Norse origin but also a name connected to notable contributions in agriculture, folklore, maritime advancements, literature, and politics. The name has a rich legacy in Norwegian history, carried by individuals whose impacts are recorded across diverse fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosand
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosand, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosand bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Rosand surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3%
- Hispanic or Latino21.1%
- Unknown or suppressed4.6%
FAQ
Rosand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosand?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Rosand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Rosand?
Rosand ranks #140,756 in the 2000 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 2000 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Rosand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Rosand.
Has Rosand become more or less common over time?
Rosand appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosand, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%). These figures come from the 2000 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 Rosand in the 2000 Census, accounting for 74.3%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (74.3%), Hispanic (21.1%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Rosand appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Rosand mean?
A surname derived from a location name or derived from a rose flower. 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 2000 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 Rosand (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 Rosand?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Rosand on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.