2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Roskilly
A Cornish surname derived from the place name Roskilly in Cornwall.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Roskilly. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roskilly 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 Roskilly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Roskilly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roskilly
The surname ROSKILLY is of Cornish origin, derived from the parish of Roskilly in Cornwall, England. This name has its roots in the Cornish language, where "ros" means "valley" and "kelly" means "grove" or "hazel tree."
The earliest known record of the ROSKILLY surname dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the parish records of Roskilly, Cornwall. During this time, many Cornish families adopted surnames derived from the names of their local parishes or settlements.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Roskilly, who was born in Roskilly, Cornwall, in the late 16th century. He was a farmer and landowner in the area, and his descendants continued to live in the region for several generations.
In the 17th century, the ROSKILLY name spread beyond Cornwall as members of the family migrated to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. One notable individual was William Roskilly (1665-1728), a merchant and shipowner from Bristol, who established trade routes between England and the West Indies.
The 18th and 19th centuries saw several prominent individuals bearing the ROSKILLY surname. Richard Roskilly (1780-1855) was a successful businessman and philanthropist in Cornwall, known for his support of local schools and charities. His son, John Roskilly (1815-1892), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the Cornish mining industry.
Another notable ROSKILLY was George Roskilly (1842-1914), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Cornwall and Devon. His brother, William Roskilly (1845-1921), was a respected educator and headmaster of several schools in the region.
In the 20th century, the ROSKILLY name continued to be associated with various fields, including academia and the arts. Alfred Roskilly (1901-1976) was a distinguished historian and author of several books on British history, while his brother, James Roskilly (1905-1988), was a talented painter and sculptor.
While the ROSKILLY surname originated in a small Cornish parish, it has since spread across England and beyond, with individuals from this family making notable contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roskilly
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Roskilly 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 Roskilly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roskilly
Roskilly 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+9 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 991 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-14 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 991 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 14,418 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 Roskilly 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 | #130,610 | #145,028 | -11.0% |
| Count | 130 | 116 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roskilly bearers went from 130 to 116 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 14,418 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,028.
FAQ
Roskilly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roskilly?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Roskilly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Roskilly?
Roskilly ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Roskilly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Roskilly.
Has Roskilly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roskilly went from 130 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Roskilly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Roskilly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roskilly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Roskilly (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 Roskilly mean?
A Cornish surname derived from the place name Roskilly in Cornwall. 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 Roskilly (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 Roskilly?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Roskilly at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.