2000
#8,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,551
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Rosner
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold roses, rose oil, or rose water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,920 Americans carry the last name Rosner. That puts it at #9,171 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosner 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
3.9K
1 in 87,437
Census rank
#9,171
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,418 bearers of the surname Rosner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9171st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosner
The surname Rosner is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Rosner," which means "rose gardener" or "one who cultivates roses." The name likely originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where rose cultivation was a prominent industry during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rosner can be found in the Bavarian town records of Nürnberg, which date back to the 14th century. A notable figure bearing this name was Hans Rosner, a distinguished rose grower who lived in the town of Augsburg during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name Rosner appeared in various historical documents, including the chronicles of the city of Leipzig. These records mention a certain Joachim Rosner, who was a member of the city council and played a significant role in the development of the local rose trade.
As the name spread across Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Roßner, Roesner, and Rösner. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes.
One of the most prominent individuals bearing the surname Rosner was Johann Gottlieb Rosner, a German composer and organist who lived from 1720 to 1782. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the organ concerto and his innovative compositions for church music.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Rosner, a German-born American painter and illustrator who lived from 1832 to 1919. He is best known for his realistic depictions of landscapes and his illustrations for various publications, including Harper's Magazine.
In the 19th century, the Rosner family established itself in the town of Meppen, Lower Saxony. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Wilhelm Rosner, a successful businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1848 to 1922. He made significant contributions to the development of the local community and funded the construction of several public buildings.
As the surname Rosner continued to spread across Europe and beyond, it became associated with various professions, including horticulture, agriculture, and viticulture. However, its roots can be traced back to the rose gardeners of medieval Germany, who played a crucial role in the cultivation and trade of this beloved flower.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosner
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosner 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 Rosner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 3,192
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 87
- Two or more races2.2% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 51
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosner
Rosner 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
#8,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,688
+137 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#9,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,418
-270 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,541 | 3,551 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,878 | 3,688 | 1.25 | +137 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #9,171 | 3,418 | 1.14 | -270 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 293 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 Rosner 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 | #8,878 | #9,171 | -3.3% |
| Count | 3,688 | 3,418 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.14 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosner bearers went from 3,688 to 3,418 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 293 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,878 to #9,171.
FAQ
Rosner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,920 living Americans carry the surname Rosner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,437 residents.
How common is Rosner?
Rosner ranks #9,171 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,418 people with the surname Rosner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Rosner.
Has Rosner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosner went from 3,688 recorded bearers to 3,418. That is a decrease of 270 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,878 to #9,171.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Rosner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (3,192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Rosner (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 Rosner mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold roses, rose oil, or rose water. 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 Rosner (1.14 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 Rosner?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Rosner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.