2000
#15,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,711
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Rosell
A variant of the French surname Roussel, derived from the root word "roux" meaning red or redhead.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,047 Americans carry the last name Rosell. That puts it at #15,743 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,442 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosell 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
2.0K
1 in 167,442
Census rank
#15,743
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,785 bearers of the surname Rosell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15743rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosell, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.3%) and Black (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosell
The surname Rosell originated in Catalonia, a region located in the northeastern corner of Spain. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Catalan word "rosella," which means a small rose, referring to the fragrant flower. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who lived near rose bushes or was associated with the cultivation or selling of roses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rosell can be found in a document from the year 1258, which mentions a certain Bernat Rosell residing in the town of Girona, located in the heart of Catalonia. This region was known for its thriving rose trade during the medieval period, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the flower.
In the 14th century, the name Rosell appeared in various municipal records and tax rolls across Catalonia, indicating its widespread use among the local population. Some notable individuals from this time period include Jaume Rosell, a merchant from Barcelona who was involved in the lucrative spice trade with the Middle East, and Pere Rosell, a respected lawyer who served as a legal advisor to the Count of Barcelona.
As the centuries passed, the Rosell surname spread beyond the borders of Catalonia and into other parts of Spain, as well as to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro Rosell y Soler (1807-1886), a Spanish historian and writer who authored several books on the history of Spain and its territories.
In the 19th century, the Rosell name appeared in various parts of Latin America, with individuals such as José Rosell (1838-1907), a prominent Venezuelan politician and lawyer, and Enrique Rosell (1872-1940), a Chilean composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the development of classical music in his country.
Another individual of note is Francesc Rosell (1916-2001), a Catalan artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his abstract works and public installations throughout Spain and Europe. His most famous piece, "The Encounter," stands in the heart of Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya.
While the surname Rosell has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have made their mark in fields ranging from politics and law to the arts and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosell
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosell, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.3%) and Black (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosell 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 Rosell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.7% · 869
- Hispanic or Latino38.3% · 684
- Black or African American6.1% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 72
- Two or more races2.2% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosell
Rosell 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
#15,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,844
+133 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 116 places
2020
#15,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,785
-59 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,676 | 1,711 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,792 | 1,844 | 0.63 | +133 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 116 places |
| 2020 | #15,743 | 1,785 | 0.60 | -59 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 49 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 Rosell 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 | #15,792 | #15,743 | 0.3% |
| Count | 1,844 | 1,785 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.60 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosell bearers went from 1,844 to 1,785 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,792 to #15,743.
FAQ
Rosell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,047 living Americans carry the surname Rosell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,442 residents.
How common is Rosell?
Rosell ranks #15,743 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,785 people with the surname Rosell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,047), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Rosell.
Has Rosell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosell went from 1,844 recorded bearers to 1,785. That is a decrease of 59 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,792 to #15,743.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosell, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (38.3%) and Black (6.1%). 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 Rosell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.7% (869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.7%), Hispanic (38.3%), Black (6.1%). 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 Rosell (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 Rosell mean?
A variant of the French surname Roussel, derived from the root word "roux" meaning red or redhead. 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 Rosell (0.60 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 last name Rosell?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Rosell is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.