2000
#12,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Roundy
Descriptive surname for someone with a plump, rotund physique or who lived near a circular geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,861 Americans carry the last name Roundy. That puts it at #11,971 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,802 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roundy 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
2.9K
1 in 119,802
Census rank
#11,971
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,495 bearers of the surname Roundy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11971st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roundy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roundy
The surname Roundy is of English origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "rund" or "rundie," meaning "round hill." The name may have originated in one of several areas where such geographical features exist, possibly in Devon, Somerset, or Wiltshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1192, which mention a Richard Rundy. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the Roundy surname, such as William Roundy and Richard Roundy, both listed in Somerset.
In the 14th century, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 record a John Roundy, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Thomas Roundy. These early records suggest that the name was well-established in various regions of England by this time.
Notable individuals with the Roundy surname throughout history include Sir John Roundy (1540-1612), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another noteworthy figure was Captain Thomas Roundy (1658-1727), a Royal Navy officer who served under Admiral Edward Russell during the War of the Spanish Succession.
In the literary world, Edward Roundy (1792-1865) was a respected English poet and writer, best known for his collection of poems titled "The Village Muse" published in 1835. Meanwhile, Sarah Roundy (1835-1914) was an American pioneer and one of the early settlers of Utah, having joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and made the arduous journey across the plains.
Lastly, Sir William Roundy (1870-1952) was a distinguished British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Turkey and Greece in the early 20th century, making significant contributions to international relations during his long and illustrious career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roundy
Among Census respondents with the surname Roundy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Roundy 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 Roundy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,308
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 85
- Two or more races2.1% · 52
- Black or African American1.2% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roundy
Roundy 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
#12,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,531
+324 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 518 places
2020
#11,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,495
-36 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,803 | 2,207 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,285 | 2,531 | 0.86 | +324 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 518 places |
| 2020 | #11,971 | 2,495 | 0.83 | -36 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 314 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 Roundy 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 | #12,285 | #11,971 | 2.6% |
| Count | 2,531 | 2,495 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.83 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roundy bearers went from 2,531 to 2,495 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,285 to #11,971.
FAQ
Roundy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roundy?
Name Census estimates that about 2,861 living Americans carry the surname Roundy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,802 residents.
How common is Roundy?
Roundy ranks #11,971 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,495 people with the surname Roundy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Roundy.
Has Roundy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roundy went from 2,531 recorded bearers to 2,495. That is a decrease of 36 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,285 to #11,971.
What does the Census say about the background of Roundy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roundy, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Roundy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roundy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (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 Roundy (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 Roundy mean?
Descriptive surname for someone with a plump, rotund physique or who lived near a circular geographical feature. 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 Roundy (0.83 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 Roundy?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Roundy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.