2000
#10,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Rothschild
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "rot" (red) and "schild" (shield), referring to the family's heraldic emblem.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,406 Americans carry the last name Rothschild. That puts it at #10,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,633 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rothschild 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rothschild with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,633
Census rank
#10,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,970 bearers of the surname Rothschild in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothschild, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rothschild
The surname Rothschild originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is a combination of two German words: "rot," meaning red, and "Schild," which refers to a sign or coat of arms. The name is believed to have first been used to identify a family that either lived near a building with a red sign or shield, or perhaps worked as innkeepers and had a red sign or emblem displayed outside their establishment.
One of the earliest known references to the Rothschild name dates back to the late 16th century, when records show a Jewish family with the surname living in the Judengasse (Jewish ghetto) of Frankfurt am Main. This area was known for its red-tiled roofs, which may have contributed to the family's surname.
In the 18th century, the Rothschild family rose to prominence through their successful banking and financial businesses. Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812), the patriarch of the famous Rothschild dynasty, established a banking empire that would become one of the most influential financial institutions in Europe.
Mayer Amschel's sons, including Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836), who founded the English branch of the family's banking empire, and James Mayer Rothschild (1792-1868), who established the French branch, played significant roles in shaping the family's legacy and wealth.
Other notable figures with the Rothschild surname include Baron Edmond James de Rothschild (1845-1934), a French member of the family who was a prominent philanthropist and supporter of the arts, and Nathaniel Mayer Victor Rothschild (1910-1990), a British scientist and member of the Rothschild banking family.
The Rothschild name has become synonymous with wealth, power, and influence in the financial world, and the family has left an indelible mark on the history of banking and finance across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rothschild
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothschild, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rothschild 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 Rothschild surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 2,617
- Black or African American4.7% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 102
- Two or more races2.6% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rothschild
Rothschild 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
#10,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,954
-16 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 785 places
2020
#10,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,970
+16 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,010 | 2,970 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,795 | 2,954 | 1.00 | -16 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 785 places |
| 2020 | #10,318 | 2,970 | 0.99 | +16 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 477 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 Rothschild 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 | #10,795 | #10,318 | 4.4% |
| Count | 2,954 | 2,970 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.99 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rothschild bearers went from 2,954 to 2,970 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 477 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,795 to #10,318.
FAQ
Rothschild surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rothschild?
Name Census estimates that about 3,406 living Americans carry the surname Rothschild. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,633 residents.
How common is Rothschild?
Rothschild ranks #10,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,970 people with the surname Rothschild. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rothschild.
Has Rothschild become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rothschild went from 2,954 recorded bearers to 2,970. That is an increase of 16 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,795 to #10,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Rothschild?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rothschild, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Rothschild in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,617 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rothschild appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Rothschild (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 Rothschild mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "rot" (red) and "schild" (shield), referring to the family's heraldic emblem. 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 Rothschild (0.99 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 Rothschild?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.