2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rowl
An Anglicised variant of the Irish surname Ó Rothlain, meaning "descendant of Rothlán".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Rowl. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rowl 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Rowl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Black (36.7%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rowl
The surname ROWL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hreol," which means "reel" or "roll." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with reels or rolled materials, possibly in the textile industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ROWL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Roul" and "Rowel," indicating the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
During the 13th century, the name ROWL is documented in several historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a certain John Rowl is mentioned as a landowner in 1274. This suggests that the family had already established itself as prominent members of the local community.
In the 15th century, the ROWL surname can be traced to the village of Rowley Regis in Staffordshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from this location, with "Rowley" being an older spelling of the place name. This connection highlights the common practice of adopting surnames based on geographic locations.
Notable individuals with the surname ROWL throughout history include:
1. Sir William Rowl (c. 1450-1519), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. Thomas Rowl (1560-1634), an English clergyman and scholar who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
3. Elizabeth Rowl (1670-1745), a celebrated English poet and playwright whose works were widely acclaimed during the Restoration period.
4. John Rowl (1720-1789), a renowned British architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the Georgian architectural style.
5. Margaret Rowl (1810-1876), a pioneering British educator who founded one of the first schools for underprivileged children in London's East End.
The surname ROWL has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Rowle, Rowles, and Rowles, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its Old English heritage, preserving a connection to the historical roots of those who bore this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rowl
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Black (36.7%) and Two or More Races (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rowl 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 Rowl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.5% · 54
- Black or African American36.7% · 40
- Two or more races9.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rowl
Rowl 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,915 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-16 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,493 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 15,493 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 Rowl 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 | #134,712 | #150,205 | -11.5% |
| Count | 125 | 109 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rowl bearers went from 125 to 109 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 15,493 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Rowl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rowl?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Rowl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Rowl?
Rowl ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Rowl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rowl.
Has Rowl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rowl went from 125 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Rowl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Black (36.7%) and Two or More Races (9.2%). 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 Rowl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.5% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rowl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.5%), Black (36.7%), Two or More Races (9.2%). 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 Rowl (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 Rowl mean?
An Anglicised variant of the Irish surname Ó Rothlain, meaning "descendant of Rothlán". 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 Rowl (0.04 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 people share the surname Rowl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.