2000
#4,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,693
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Rare Last name
Rountree
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree, often an oak or elm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,306 Americans carry the last name Rountree. That puts it at #5,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rountree 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 Rountree with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 46,914
Census rank
#5,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,371 bearers of the surname Rountree in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rountree, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rountree
The surname Rountree is an English topographic name derived from the Old English words "rund" meaning "round" and "treow" meaning "tree." It likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a distinctive round-shaped tree or a group of round trees. The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Huntingdonshire county of England, where it appeared as "Rundetre" in official records.
The Rountree surname has its roots in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire. It is believed to have been initially adopted as a locational name by families residing near distinctive round-shaped trees or copses. Over time, the name evolved into its modern spelling, Rountree.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a Thomas Rountree. Additionally, the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642 for Yorkshire list several individuals with the surname Rountree, suggesting its widespread use in that region during the 17th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Rountree throughout history include:
1. Sir John Rountree (1615-1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Brackley in Northamptonshire during the 17th century.
2. William Rountree (1773-1842), an American pioneer and frontiersman who played a significant role in the early settlement of Tennessee and Kentucky.
3. Reverend John Rountree (1805-1873), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Wragby in Lincolnshire.
4. Martha Rountree (1837-1923), an American activist and philanthropist from Alabama, known for her work in establishing schools and promoting education for African Americans during the Reconstruction era.
5. Harry Rountree (1892-1949), a British actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and stage productions in the early 20th century.
While the Rountree surname originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through British immigration and colonization efforts. Today, the name can be found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rountree
Among Census respondents with the surname Rountree, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rountree 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 Rountree surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.2% · 4,217
- Black or African American25.5% · 1,624
- Two or more races4.3% · 275
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 190
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rountree
Rountree 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
#5,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,726
+33 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 380 places
2020
#5,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,371
-355 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,816 | 6,693 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,196 | 6,726 | 2.28 | +33 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 380 places |
| 2020 | #5,279 | 6,371 | 2.13 | -355 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 83 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 Rountree 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 | #5,196 | #5,279 | -1.6% |
| Count | 6,726 | 6,371 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.13 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rountree bearers went from 6,726 to 6,371 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,196 to #5,279.
FAQ
Rountree surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rountree?
Name Census estimates that about 7,306 living Americans carry the surname Rountree. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,914 residents.
How common is Rountree?
Rountree ranks #5,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,371 people with the surname Rountree. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,306), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rountree.
Has Rountree become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rountree went from 6,726 recorded bearers to 6,371. That is a decrease of 355 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,196 to #5,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Rountree?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rountree, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rountree in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.2% (4,217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rountree appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.2%), Black (25.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rountree (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 Rountree mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree, often an oak or elm. 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 Rountree (2.13 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 Americans have the surname Rountree?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.