2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rosenquest
A German surname meaning "rose branch" or "rose wreath."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Rosenquest. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosenquest 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Rosenquest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosenquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosenquest
The surname Rosenquest is of German origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is derived from the German words "Rose" meaning rose and "Quest" meaning quest or journey, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who embarked on a journey or quest for roses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rosenquest can be found in the parish records of the town of Wittenberg, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, dating back to the late 1600s. The name was also present in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Hesse, during this time period.
While there are no significant historical references or famous individuals directly associated with the surname Rosenquest in ancient manuscripts or chronicles, the name does appear to have been prevalent among the German nobility and landowners in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Rosenquest, a German aristocrat and landowner who lived from 1762 to 1842 and owned vast estates in the Rhineland region.
Another individual of note was Johann Rosenquest, a German botanist and horticulturist who lived from 1783 to 1856. He was renowned for his extensive research on the cultivation and hybridization of roses, and he is credited with developing several new rose varieties that bear his name.
In the 19th century, the name Rosenquest also appeared in the records of German immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States and Canada. One such individual was Karl Rosenquest, a German immigrant who arrived in New York City in 1854 and later established a successful business in the city's garment industry.
Another notable bearer of the name was Emma Rosenquest, a German-American sculptor and artist who lived from 1862 to 1935. She was celebrated for her intricate and detailed sculptures, many of which depicted floral motifs and were inspired by her German heritage.
While the name Rosenquest is not as common as some other German surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout history, primarily in Germany and among German communities in North America. The name's origins and meaning suggest a connection to the pursuit or quest for roses, which may have been a significant symbol or motif for those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosenquest
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosenquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosenquest 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 Rosenquest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosenquest
Rosenquest appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 8,198 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 Rosenquest 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 | #144,141 | #152,339 | -5.7% |
| Count | 115 | 106 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosenquest bearers went from 115 to 106 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 8,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #152,339.
FAQ
Rosenquest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosenquest?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Rosenquest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Rosenquest?
Rosenquest ranks #152,339 in the 2020 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 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Rosenquest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Rosenquest.
Has Rosenquest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosenquest went from 115 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosenquest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosenquest, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Rosenquest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosenquest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Rosenquest (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 Rosenquest mean?
A German surname meaning "rose branch" or "rose wreath." 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 Rosenquest (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 many people are called Rosenquest?
Want to know how many people are called Rosenquest? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.