2000
#12,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Rouleau
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rolls or scrolls of parchment or paper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,470 Americans carry the last name Rouleau. That puts it at #13,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,767 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rouleau 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
2.5K
1 in 138,767
Census rank
#13,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,154 bearers of the surname Rouleau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rouleau
The surname Rouleau originates from the French language and dates back to medieval times in France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "rouleau," meaning a small roll or scroll. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with rolls or scrolls, possibly a scribe or a clerk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rouleau can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a cartulary from the 12th century. This medieval manuscript contains references to individuals with the surname Rouleau, indicating that the name was already in use during that period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Rouleau was mentioned in the records of the city of Rouen, Normandy. He was a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.
During the 16th century, the Rouleau family established themselves in the region of Anjou, in western France. One of the most prominent members of this family was Jacques Rouleau (1520-1589), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris.
In the 17th century, the Rouleau name appears in various historical records from different parts of France, indicating its widespread distribution. One notable individual was Louis Rouleau (1637-1710), a French sculptor and architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and public buildings in Paris.
Another noteworthy figure was Marie-Anne Rouleau (1726-1798), a French novelist and playwright who gained recognition for her works during the Age of Enlightenment. Her novels explored themes of love, societal norms, and the role of women in society.
The surname Rouleau also made its way to other parts of Europe, including Belgium and Switzerland. In the 19th century, a prominent Swiss politician and lawyer named Charles Rouleau (1816-1892) played a significant role in the drafting of the Swiss Civil Code.
Throughout its history, the surname Rouleau has been associated with various professions, including scribes, merchants, jurists, artists, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has since spread across different regions and countries, reflecting the mobility and migration patterns of individuals bearing this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rouleau
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rouleau 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 Rouleau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,002
- Two or more races3.8% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rouleau
Rouleau 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
#12,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,520
+148 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 269 places
2020
#13,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,154
-366 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,070 | 2,372 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,339 | 2,520 | 0.85 | +148 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 269 places |
| 2020 | #13,501 | 2,154 | 0.72 | -366 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 1,162 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 Rouleau 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 | #12,339 | #13,501 | -9.4% |
| Count | 2,520 | 2,154 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.72 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rouleau bearers went from 2,520 to 2,154 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 1,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,339 to #13,501.
FAQ
Rouleau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rouleau?
Name Census estimates that about 2,470 living Americans carry the surname Rouleau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,767 residents.
How common is Rouleau?
Rouleau ranks #13,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,154 people with the surname Rouleau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,470), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Rouleau.
Has Rouleau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rouleau went from 2,520 recorded bearers to 2,154. That is a decrease of 366 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,339 to #13,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Rouleau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Rouleau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,002 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rouleau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Rouleau (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 Rouleau mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rolls or scrolls of parchment or paper. 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 Rouleau (0.72 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 Rouleau?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Rouleau on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.