Rouster last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Rouster is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rouster.

Meaning of Rouster

A surname possibly deriving from "rouse," meaning a person who awakens others or rouses people.

Rouster, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rouster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rouster in America

Rouster is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rouster surname appeared 140 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rouster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rouster to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 123064 127186 -3.29%
Count 140 124 12.12%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Rouster

The surname ROUSTER has its origins in England and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "roustour," which meant "one who rouses or awakens." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals whose job involved waking others, such as watchmen or town criers.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Roustere" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This early reference suggests that the surname was already in use during this time. Additionally, variations like "Rowster" and "Roustour" can be found in historical records from various parts of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Rouster, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. Another notable figure was William Rouster, a landowner from Buckinghamshire, who was documented in the Feet of Fines records in 1456.

During the 16th century, the surname ROUSTER appeared in various forms, including "Rowster" and "Roustier." For instance, Thomas Rowster was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1578, while a certain Henry Roustier was a resident of London in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name ROUSTER continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable individual was John Rouster, a merchant from Bristol, who was born in 1624 and was involved in the city's thriving trade industry.

Another significant figure from this period was William ROUSTER (1652-1718), a renowned theologian and author from Gloucestershire. He wrote several influential works on religious subjects and was highly regarded in his time.

As the centuries progressed, the ROUSTER surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In Scotland, for instance, there are records of the name being used as early as the 18th century, with individuals like Robert ROUSTER (1735-1802), a farmer from Aberdeenshire.

Overall, the surname ROUSTER has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins rooted in an occupational role. Over time, it has been documented in various regions and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, theologians, and farmers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rouster

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rouster.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rouster was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 67.86% 95
Non-Hispanic Black Only 30.00% 42
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rouster has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 67.86% 70.16% -3.33%
Black 30.00% 26.61% 11.98%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rouster was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rouster, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Rouster last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 17, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rouster-surname-popularity/.

"Rouster last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rouster-surname-popularity/. Accessed 17 July, 2025

Rouster last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rouster-surname-popularity/.

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