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

Rothe, 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 Rothe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rothe in America

Rothe is the 11172nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rothe surname appeared 2,831 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 Rothe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rothe 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 Rothe

The surname Rothe is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It was originally derived from the Germanic root word "rod" or "rot," meaning "red" in English. This suggests that the name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

Rothe is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia in central Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon documents from the 12th century, where a "Henricus Rothe" is mentioned.

The name also appears in various medieval German records and manuscripts, such as the Constitutiones et Acta Publica Imperatorum et Regum, a compilation of imperial and royal decrees from the 13th century, which includes references to individuals with the surname Rothe.

In the 14th century, the Rothe family established themselves in the city of Erfurt, where they became prominent merchants and landowners. One notable member of this family was the chronicler and author Johannes Rothe (c. 1360-1434), who wrote the "Thüringische Chronik," a valuable historical account of the region.

Another significant figure bearing the Rothe surname was the German writer and pastor Johann Andreas Rothe (1688-1758), known for his works on theology and philosophy. He was born in Lübben, Brandenburg, and served as a pastor in various churches throughout his life.

In the 19th century, the Rothe name gained further recognition with the birth of the German philosopher and theologian Richard Rothe (1799-1867). He was a prominent figure in the field of speculative theology and published several influential works, including "Theologische Ethik" and "Stille Stunden."

The surname Rothe has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a town in Bavaria, and Rothenburg an der Fulda, a municipality in Hesse. These place names likely derived from the same Germanic root word as the surname, indicating a connection to the color red or a reddish landscape feature.

While the surname Rothe has its roots firmly planted in German history, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. Individuals with this surname can be found in various countries, each with their own unique family histories and stories to tell.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rothe

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

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

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

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