2000
#8,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Rosson
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "red marsh" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,592 Americans carry the last name Rosson. That puts it at #9,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,422 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosson 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 Rosson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,422
Census rank
#9,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,132 bearers of the surname Rosson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosson
The surname Rosson is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "ros," meaning a rose, suggesting a possible connection to an occupation or location associated with roses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rosson can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conquer in 1086. This historical document mentions individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "Rosson" and "Rossun."
During the 13th century, records show the presence of the surname Rosson in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from place names like Rossington, a village in Yorkshire, or Rossall, a town in Lancashire.
Notable individuals with the surname Rosson throughout history include Sir John Rosson (1580-1656), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was William Rosson (1702-1774), a renowned architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London during the Georgian era.
In the 18th century, records show the presence of the Rosson family in the county of Cheshire, where they were landowners and held influential positions within the local community. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Rosson (1745-1812), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in the region.
As the surname spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland, the Rossons were known for their involvement in the textile industry, with several members holding prominent roles in the wool trade during the 19th century. One such figure was James Rosson (1812-1887), a successful wool merchant and mill owner from Galashiels.
Throughout its history, the surname Rosson has been associated with various occupations, from agriculture and trade to politics and architecture. While its exact origins remain shrouded in speculation, the name has left an indelible mark on the annals of British history, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosson
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosson 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 Rosson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 2,722
- Two or more races4.7% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 121
- Black or African American2.5% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosson
Rosson 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
#8,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,131
+447 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 265 places
2020
#9,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,132
-999 bearers (-24.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 1,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,271 | 3,684 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,006 | 4,131 | 1.40 | +447 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 265 places |
| 2020 | #9,854 | 3,132 | 1.05 | -999 bearers (-24.2%) | Down 1,848 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 Rosson 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 | #8,006 | #9,854 | -23.1% |
| Count | 4,131 | 3,132 | -24.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.05 | -25.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosson bearers went from 4,131 to 3,132 (-24.2% change). The surname moved down 1,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,006 to #9,854.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rosson
FAQ
Rosson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,592 living Americans carry the surname Rosson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,422 residents.
How common is Rosson?
Rosson ranks #9,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,132 people with the surname Rosson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,592), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Rosson.
Has Rosson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosson went from 4,131 recorded bearers to 3,132. That is a decrease of 999 (-24.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,006 to #9,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosson, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Rosson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (2,722 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Rosson (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 Rosson mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "red marsh" in Old English. 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 Rosson (1.05 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 share the surname Rosson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.