2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rothan
An Anglicized spelling of a German surname derived from the root "rot" meaning "red."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Rothan. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rothan 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Rothan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rothan
The surname Rothan is of German origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the Old High German word "rot," meaning "red," and "han," meaning "rooster." This combination suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, or perhaps as a reference to a location or landmark associated with a red rooster.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rothan can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Emmerami, a 12th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Bavaria. This document includes several references to individuals bearing the name, indicating its established presence in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, the name Rothan appeared in various records and chronicles from across southern Germany, such as the Annales Ratisponenses and the Chronicon Schirense. These mentions often referred to individuals of notable social standing, suggesting that the name had gained some prominence within certain communities.
During the late medieval period, variations of the name began to emerge, including Rothahn, Rothaen, and Rothahn. These spelling variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the evolving nature of the German language over time.
One notable figure bearing the surname Rothan was Johannes Rothan, a 15th-century scholar and theologian born in Augsburg, Bavaria, in 1426. He achieved recognition for his theological writings and his role as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.
In the 16th century, the name Rothan appeared in the records of the Thirty Years' War, a significant conflict that ravaged much of central Europe. Several soldiers and military officers with this surname are mentioned in various chronicles and historical accounts from that period.
Another notable individual was Matthias Rothan, born in Nuremberg in 1598. He was a renowned engraver and printmaker who contributed significantly to the development of the art form during the Baroque period.
As the surname spread across different regions of Germany and into neighboring countries, it underwent further spelling variations, such as Rothen, Rothahn, and Rothaan. These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Germany can be found in the Netherlands, where Pieter Rothan, a merchant from Amsterdam, is mentioned in historical records from the late 17th century.
Throughout its long history, the surname Rothan has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, from scholars and artists to military figures and tradesmen. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Bavaria, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped its evolution over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rothan
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rothan 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 Rothan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 98
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rothan
Rothan 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,324 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 3,324 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,795 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 Rothan 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 | #141,140 | #150,935 | -6.9% |
| Count | 118 | 108 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rothan bearers went from 118 to 108 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,795 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,935.
FAQ
Rothan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rothan?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Rothan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Rothan?
Rothan ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Rothan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rothan.
Has Rothan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rothan went from 118 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Rothan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Rothan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rothan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Black (2.8%). 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 Rothan (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 Rothan mean?
An Anglicized spelling of a German surname derived from the root "rot" meaning "red." 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 Rothan (0.04 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 Rothan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.