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

Rost, 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 Rost surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rost in America

Rost is the 8439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rost surname appeared 3,913 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rost.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rost 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 Rost

The surname ROST has its origins in Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "rost," which means "rust" or "ruddy," likely referring to someone with reddish-colored hair or complexion. The name may also be related to the German word "Roste," meaning "iron grating" or "grill," suggesting a possible occupational origin for those involved in metalwork or blacksmithing.

The earliest recorded instances of the ROST surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include Henricus Rust, mentioned in the records of Augsburg in 1285, and Johannes Rost, documented in the town of Bochum in 1312.

The ROST name has been found in various historical records and manuscripts throughout the centuries. For example, it appears in the Würzburg Census of 1497, and there are mentions of individuals with the surname in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493.

Historically, several notable individuals have borne the ROST surname. One of the earliest was Johann Rost (1532-1588), a German theologian and mathematician who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. Another prominent figure was Reinhold Rost (1822-1896), a German-born British Orientalist and scholar of Sanskrit and Pali languages.

Other notable bearers of the ROST name include:

1. Pieter Cornelis Rost van Tonningen (1732-1811), a Dutch naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1801 to 1805.

2. Christian Gottlob Rost (1786-1858), a German philologist and lexicographer renowned for his work on the Sanskrit language and literature.

3. Ernst Rost (1827-1896), a German theologian and historian who served as a professor at the University of Marburg and authored several works on the history of the Reformation.

4. Paul Rost (1870-1938), a German botanist and mycologist known for his contributions to the study of fungi and plant pathology.

5. Nico Rost (born 1972), a German professional football player who played as a defender for various clubs in the Bundesliga, the top division of German football.

The ROST surname has been found in various places throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, and it has also been carried to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. While the name has evolved and adapted over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the heart of Germanic territories.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rost

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

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

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

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