2000
#20,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Rosborough
A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,205 Americans carry the last name Rosborough. That puts it at #24,761 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 284,443 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosborough 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 Rosborough with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 284,443
Census rank
#24,761
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,051 bearers of the surname Rosborough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24761st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosborough
The surname Rosborough is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Scottish surname Rossborough, which itself is derived from a place name that incorporates the elements "ross," meaning a promontory or headland, and "burgh," meaning a fortified town or castle.
One of the earliest known references to the name Rosborough can be found in the Scottish Church Records from the Parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, where a certain Robert Rosborough was recorded as having been baptized in 1612. Additional early records show the name appearing in various spellings, such as Rossborough, Rossburrow, and Rossboro, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times.
In the 17th century, the name Rosborough appears to have been particularly concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire, with several families bearing the name recorded in parish registers and other local records from those areas. One notable individual from this period was John Rosborough, a merchant and burgess of Glasgow, who was born around 1650 and played an active role in the city's affairs.
As the centuries progressed, the Rosborough name continued to spread across Scotland and beyond, with some families eventually settling in other parts of the British Isles and, later, in various parts of the world as a result of emigration. In the 19th century, for instance, a certain James Rosborough (1812-1887) was a prominent Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the cotton trade in Manchester, England.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Rosborough throughout history include Robert Rosborough (1808-1854), a Scottish-born poet and journalist who lived and worked in Canada; William Rosborough (1829-1908), an Irish-born politician and businessman who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament; and David Rosborough (1914-1972), a Scottish-born artist and illustrator best known for his work in children's books.
While the Rosborough surname may have had a relatively modest presence compared to some other Scottish surnames, its history and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of Scotland's cultural heritage and the diverse journeys undertaken by families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosborough
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosborough 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 Rosborough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.3% · 665
- Black or African American29.6% · 311
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 33
- Two or more races2.6% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosborough
Rosborough 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
#22,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,142
-42 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 1,762 places
2020
#24,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,051
-91 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 2,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,754 | 1,184 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,516 | 1,142 | 0.39 | -42 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 1,762 places |
| 2020 | #24,761 | 1,051 | 0.35 | -91 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 2,245 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 Rosborough 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 | #22,516 | #24,761 | -10.0% |
| Count | 1,142 | 1,051 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.35 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosborough bearers went from 1,142 to 1,051 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 2,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,516 to #24,761.
FAQ
Rosborough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosborough?
Name Census estimates that about 1,205 living Americans carry the surname Rosborough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 284,443 residents.
How common is Rosborough?
Rosborough ranks #24,761 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,051 people with the surname Rosborough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Rosborough.
Has Rosborough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosborough went from 1,142 recorded bearers to 1,051. That is a decrease of 91 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,516 to #24,761.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosborough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosborough, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Rosborough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.3% (665 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosborough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.3%), Black (29.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Rosborough (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 Rosborough mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England. 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 Rosborough (0.35 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 have the surname Rosborough?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.