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

Rosser, 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 Rosser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rosser in America

Rosser is the 4417th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rosser surname appeared 8,043 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Rosser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rosser 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 Rosser

The surname Rosser is of Welsh origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Glamorgan, Wales, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Welsh word "rhosyr," which means a person who lived near a small valley or a moorland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Rosser can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented bearers of this surname was Rhys Rosser, who lived in Glamorgan in the late 13th century. The Rosser family is also mentioned in several historical records from the same region, including the Cwmdu Manuscripts, which date back to the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name Rosser was found in various spellings, such as Rhoser, Roser, and Rosyr, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable bearer of this surname during this period was William Rosser, a Welsh clergyman and author who lived from 1508 to 1580.

As the surname Rosser spread across Wales and beyond, it became associated with several place names, including Rosser Fawr and Rosser Fach, which were small villages in Glamorgan. The name was also linked to the Rosser family estate, which was located in the same region.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Rosser. One of them was John Rosser (1635-1700), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Another prominent figure was Thomas Rosser (1762-1846), a Welsh landowner and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the coal industry in South Wales.

In the 19th century, the name Rosser gained prominence with the birth of William Rosser (1829-1915), a Welsh-born American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas. Additionally, Walter Rosser (1888-1967), an American mathematician and logician, made significant contributions to the field of set theory and logic.

The surname Rosser has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. One such individual was Charles Rosser (1879-1954), an American playwright and screenwriter who worked in Hollywood during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rosser

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

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

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

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