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Rare Last name

Rota

A surname derived from the Latin word "rota," meaning a wheel or circle.

According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,063 Americans carry the last name Rota. That puts it at #26,795 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 322,441 residents).

This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rota surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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

1.1K

1 in 322,441

Census rank

#26,795

2010 decennial data

Per 100,000

0.3

Frequency rate

Recorded bearers

908

rare in the US

Popularity narrative

The Census Bureau recorded 908 bearers of the surname Rota in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26795th position in the national surname ranking.

Among Census respondents with the surname Rota, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).

Origin

Meaning and origin of Rota

The surname Rota has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rota," which means "wheel." This term may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked near a mill or a workshop where wheels were used.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rota surname can be found in the historic documents of the city of Pisa, dating back to the late 1200s. During this period, the name appeared in various municipal records, indicating that it was already well-established in the region.

In the 14th century, the Rota surname began to spread beyond Pisa and the surrounding areas, appearing in documents from other parts of Tuscany and Northern Italy. This expansion likely coincided with the growth of trade and commerce during the Renaissance era.

One notable bearer of the Rota surname was Martino Rota, a renowned painter from the town of Sebenico (now Sibenik, Croatia), who lived between 1520 and 1583. His works, which included frescoes and altarpieces, can still be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy and Croatia.

Another prominent figure with the Rota surname was Giovanni Rota, an Italian mathematician and philosopher who lived from 1932 to 1999. He made significant contributions to the fields of combinatorics and probability theory, and his work laid the foundation for many modern developments in these areas.

In the 16th century, the Rota surname was also found in Spain, particularly in the region of Aragon. This suggests that individuals with this surname may have migrated from Italy to Spain during that time period, possibly due to trade or other economic opportunities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rota surname in Spain dates back to 1567, when a man named Pedro Rota was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Zaragoza.

Another notable bearer of the Rota surname was Juan Bautista Rota, a Spanish painter who lived from 1624 to 1684. He was known for his religious paintings and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Spain.

Throughout history, the Rota surname has also been associated with various place names, including the town of Rota in the Spanish province of Cádiz, and the Italian town of Rota d'Imagna, located in the province of Bergamo.

Demographics

Ancestry and ethnicity for Rota

Among Census respondents with the surname Rota, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).

The bar chart below shows how Rota bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.

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 Rota surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.

  • White87.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino7.0%
  • Asian and Pacific Islander2.1%
  • Black or African American1.8%
  • Unknown or suppressed1.3%

Year on year

2000 vs 2010 Census

How has the Rota surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.

Census year comparison

20002010
Bearer countPer 100,000 residents20002010200020108949080.30.3
Metric 2000 2010 Change
Rank #25,845 #26,795 -3.7%
Count 894 908 1.6%
Per 100K 0.33 0.31 -6.1%

Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Rota bearers went from 894 to 908 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 950 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,845 to #26,795.

Notable bearers

Famous people with the surname Rota

FAQ

Rota surname: questions and answers

How common is the last name Rota?

The surname Rota holds position #26,795 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,063 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 Americans.

What is the ethnic background of the Rota surname?

Among Census respondents with the surname Rota, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.

Where does this surname data come from?

All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.

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