2000
#30,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 731
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Rowand
A variant of the surname Rowan, derived from the Gaelic name for the rowan tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 837 Americans carry the last name Rowand. That puts it at #33,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 409,503 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rowand 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 Rowand with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
837
1 in 409,503
Census rank
#33,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
730
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 730 bearers of the surname Rowand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rowand
The surname Rowand originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Scots word "rowan," which refers to the rowan tree or mountain ash. This tree was considered a symbol of protection and was often planted near houses to ward off evil spirits.
The name Rowand was initially concentrated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient charters and land grants from this region.
One notable early reference to the surname is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Several individuals with the surname Rowand are listed in these rolls, indicating their presence in Scotland at that time.
In the 15th century, a branch of the Rowand family settled in the village of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, and became prominent landowners in the area. Sir John Rowand of Kilwinning (c. 1450-1520) was a renowned knight and courtier during the reign of King James IV of Scotland.
Another notable figure from this era was Robert Rowand (c. 1460-1538), a Scottish cleric who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1518 until his death. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was known for his efforts to promote education and literacy.
During the 17th century, the Rowand surname spread across Scotland, with families establishing themselves in various regions, including the Highlands and the Borders. One prominent individual from this period was Sir William Rowand (1613-1680), a Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1677 to 1680.
As the centuries passed, the surname Rowand underwent various spelling variations, such as Rowane, Rowanne, and Rowan. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and pronunciation differences across Scotland.
Among the notable figures with the Rowand surname in more recent history was Sir Andrew Rowand (1828-1912), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow. He founded the Rowand Trust, which provided financial support for education and social welfare initiatives.
Despite its Scottish origins, the Rowand surname eventually spread beyond Scotland's borders, with families bearing this name settling in various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rowand
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rowand 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 Rowand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 649
- Black or African American3.6% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 24
- Two or more races3.2% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rowand
Rowand 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
#30,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 778
+47 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 90 places
2020
#33,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 730
-48 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 3,425 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,229 | 731 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,139 | 778 | 0.26 | +47 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 90 places |
| 2020 | #33,564 | 730 | 0.24 | -48 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 3,425 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 Rowand 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 | #30,139 | #33,564 | -11.4% |
| Count | 778 | 730 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.24 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rowand bearers went from 778 to 730 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 3,425 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,139 to #33,564.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rowand
FAQ
Rowand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rowand?
Name Census estimates that about 837 living Americans carry the surname Rowand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 409,503 residents.
How common is Rowand?
Rowand ranks #33,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 730 people with the surname Rowand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (837), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Rowand.
Has Rowand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rowand went from 778 recorded bearers to 730. That is a decrease of 48 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,139 to #33,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Rowand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowand, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rowand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (649 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rowand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Black (3.6%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rowand (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 Rowand mean?
A variant of the surname Rowan, derived from the Gaelic name for the rowan tree. 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 Rowand (0.24 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 Rowand?
See how common the surname Rowand is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.