2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rotola
An Italian surname derived from the word "ruota" meaning "wheel", possibly referring to a wheelwright occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Rotola. 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 Rotola 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 Rotola 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 Rotola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rotola
The surname Rotola has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rotolare," meaning "to roll" or "to turn." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with an occupation or a particular location related to rolling or turning activities.
In the early records, the surname Rotola appears to have been concentrated in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio, where variations such as Rotoli and Rotola were commonly found. It is possible that the name originated from a specific town or village, but the exact location remains uncertain.
One of the earliest known historical references to the surname Rotola can be found in the Catasto Fiorentino, a tax record from Florence, Italy, dated 1427. This document mentions a Piero di Rotola, indicating the presence of the name in the region during that period.
In the 16th century, there are records of a notable figure named Giovanni Battista Rotola (1530-1597), a Catholic priest and theologian from Genoa, Italy. His works on theology and philosophy were widely recognized during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual with the surname Rotola was Francesco Rotola (1645-1718), an Italian painter and architect from Naples. He was known for his baroque-style paintings and architectural designs, contributing significantly to the artistic landscape of his time.
In the 18th century, the name Rotola gained recognition through the works of Antonio Rotola (1725-1792), a renowned Italian engraver and printmaker from Rome. His intricate etchings and engravings were highly acclaimed and are still studied by art historians today.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Giuseppe Rotola (1810-1876), an Italian politician and lawyer from Calabria. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the unification movement of Italy.
While these individuals represent some of the more prominent historical figures associated with the surname Rotola, it is important to note that the name has been present in various regions of Italy for centuries and has likely been carried by countless others whose stories have not been as widely documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rotola
Among Census respondents with the surname Rotola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rotola 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 Rotola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rotola
Rotola 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+9 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,794 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 Rotola 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 | #144,141 | #150,935 | -4.7% |
| Count | 115 | 108 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rotola bearers went from 115 to 108 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,935.
FAQ
Rotola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rotola?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Rotola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Rotola?
Rotola 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 Rotola. 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 Rotola.
Has Rotola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rotola went from 115 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Rotola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rotola, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Rotola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rotola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Rotola (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 Rotola mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "ruota" meaning "wheel", possibly referring to a wheelwright occupation. 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 Rotola (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 common is the surname Rotola?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Rotola on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.