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

Roscoe, 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 Roscoe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roscoe in America

Roscoe is the 6571st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roscoe surname appeared 5,152 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Roscoe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roscoe 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 Roscoe

The surname Roscoe is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ros" meaning a rose and "cothu" meaning a cottage or dwelling, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived in a cottage surrounded by rose bushes or a rose garden.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Roscho" in reference to a landowner in Lancashire. This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time, as it adapted to regional dialects and linguistic changes.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear more frequently in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Roscowe" in Berkshire. The surname's association with specific locations is evident in place names like Roscoe in Cheshire, which likely contributed to the name's dissemination across different regions.

Notable historical figures bearing the Roscoe surname include William Roscoe (1753-1831), an esteemed English historian, banker, and botanist, best known for his influential works on the Italian Renaissance. Another prominent individual was Edward Roscoe (1817-1891), a British railway engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early railway technology.

Henry Enfield Roscoe (1833-1915) was a renowned English chemist and a professor at the University of Manchester, known for his contributions to the field of inorganic chemistry. William Calcraft Roscoe (1823-1859), a British painter and illustrator, gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from Italy and Switzerland.

In the literary realm, William Stanley Roscoe (1782-1843), the son of William Roscoe, was a notable poet and author, best known for his works on Italian literature and his translations of Italian poetry into English.

The Roscoe surname has endured through the centuries, with its origins rooted in the English countryside, and its historical significance ranging from academic pursuits to artistic endeavors, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roscoe

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

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

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

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