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

Roter, 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 Roter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roter in America

Roter is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roter surname appeared 146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Roter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roter 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 Roter

The surname Roter has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "roten," which means "to clear land" or "to prepare for cultivation." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in agricultural activities, specifically land clearing or forestry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Roter surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, Germany. In this record, dated 1285, a man named Johannes Roter is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

During the Middle Ages, the Roter name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Several villages and towns in these areas had variations of the name, such as Rotersdorf or Rotenberg, indicating the presence of families bearing the Roter surname.

Historical records also indicate that the Roter name was associated with several notable individuals throughout the centuries. One such figure was Hans Roter, a renowned master builder who lived in Nuremberg in the 15th century. He was responsible for the construction of several significant buildings, including the Church of St. Sebald.

Another prominent bearer of the Roter name was Johann Roter, a German composer and organist who lived from 1615 to 1677. He was a respected musician and served as the organist at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, a position later held by the famous Johann Sebastian Bach.

In the 18th century, a man named Friedrich Roter (1718-1795) made significant contributions to the field of mathematics. He was a professor at the University of Göttingen and is known for his work on algebraic equations and number theory.

The Roter surname also had a presence in the literary world. Johann Michael Roter (1737-1805) was a German poet and playwright who gained recognition for his satirical works and plays during the Age of Enlightenment.

As the Roter name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Rotter, Roder, and Roeder. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the influence of local languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roter

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

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

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

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