2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rossley
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "ross" and "ley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Rossley. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rossley 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Rossley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rossley
The surname Rossley originates from England, with its roots traceable back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hros" (horse) and "leah" (meadow), suggesting a connection to an area or settlement known for its horse pastures or meadows.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Rosseleye." This entry indicates that the name was likely associated with a specific place named Rosseley or a similar variation.
During the medieval period, the name Rossley was predominantly found in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire, where several villages and hamlets bore similar names. For instance, the village of Rossall in Lancashire was once known as "Rosseleye" in ancient records.
In the 16th century, the Rossley family gained prominence in the city of Coventry, with records showing several members holding influential positions within the local government and trade guilds. One notable figure was John Rossley (1542-1616), who served as the Mayor of Coventry in 1595.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Rossley. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as "Rosselea" and "Rosselegh," which could have been the ancestral homes of the Rossley family.
As the centuries progressed, the name Rossley spread to other parts of England, and variations in spelling emerged, including Rosley, Rossley, and Rosseley. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Sir Thomas Rossley (1668-1742), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament for Warwickshire.
2. William Rossley (1776-1854), a renowned horticulturist and botanist from Yorkshire, known for his extensive work on plant cultivation and hybridization.
3. Elizabeth Rossley (1810-1892), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights, who established several schools for girls in London.
4. James Rossley (1848-1923), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Manchester, who funded the construction of several hospitals and orphanages in the city.
5. Alfred Rossley (1891-1967), a celebrated author and playwright, best known for his historical novels set in medieval England.
While the surname Rossley has undergone various changes in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its rich history and connection to the English countryside remain an integral part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rossley
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rossley 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 Rossley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rossley
Rossley 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,325 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-16 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 5,325 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 13,162 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 Rossley 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 | #142,108 | #155,270 | -9.3% |
| Count | 117 | 101 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rossley bearers went from 117 to 101 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 13,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #155,270.
FAQ
Rossley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rossley?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Rossley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Rossley?
Rossley ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Rossley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rossley.
Has Rossley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rossley went from 117 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Rossley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossley, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Rossley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rossley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Rossley (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 Rossley mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "ross" and "ley". 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 Rossley (0.03 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 Rossley?
Want to know how many people have the surname Rossley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.