Rowlands
A toponymic surname indicating someone from the region of Roland, Normandy or any of several places called Rowland.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,571 Americans carry the last name Rowlands. That puts it at #13,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rowlands surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.6K
1 in 133,316
Census rank
#13,612
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,226 bearers of the surname Rowlands in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowlands, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rowlands
The surname ROWLANDS has its origins in Wales, deriving from the Welsh personal name Rhosyn, which means "rose". It is believed to have emerged as a hereditary surname during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
ROWLANDS is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the possessive suffix "-s" to the personal name Rhosyn. This was a common practice in Wales, where surnames were often derived from the given names of fathers or ancestors.
Early examples of the name can be found in various historical records, such as the Merionethshire Subsidy Rolls of 1292-1293, where it appears as "Rosyn". It is also recorded in the Anglesey Subsidy Roll of 1352 as "Rosyn ap Iorverthap".
The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Rosyn ap Gwilym, a Welsh poet who lived in the late 14th century and is known for his works in the cywydd meter.
Another prominent figure with the surname ROWLANDS was Daniel Rowlands (1713-1790), a Welsh Methodist minister and renowned preacher who played a significant role in the Welsh Methodist Revival of the 18th century.
In literature, Henry Rowlands (1655-1723) was a Welsh poet and writer who authored the satirical work "Mona Antiqua Restaurata" (1723), which criticized the antiquarian work of Henry Rowlands (1624-1690), an English writer and clergyman.
The name has also been associated with notable figures in politics and public service. David Rowlands (1782-1835) was a Welsh politician and Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire from 1820 to 1835.
In the field of science, William Rowlands (1860-1924) was a Welsh chemist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the study of minerals and their crystallographic properties.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname ROWLANDS throughout history, demonstrating its deep roots and wide-ranging influence across various fields and disciplines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rowlands
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowlands, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rowlands bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Rowlands surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2%
- Hispanic or Latino3.0%
- Two or more races1.5%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1%
- Black or African American0.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Rowlands surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,612 | #13,612 | 0.0% |
| Count | 2,226 | 2,226 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Rowlands bearers went from 2,226 to 2,226 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #13,612 to #13,612.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rowlands
FAQ
Rowlands surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Rowlands?
The surname Rowlands holds position #13,612 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,571 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Rowlands surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowlands, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.