2000
#9,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Rowles
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived near a rull, meaning a small stream or rivulet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,363 Americans carry the last name Rowles. That puts it at #10,451 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rowles 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 Rowles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,919
Census rank
#10,451
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,933 bearers of the surname Rowles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10451st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowles, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rowles
The surname Rowles originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rowel," which referred to a small spiked wheel used to control horses. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who worked with horses, perhaps a farrier or a stable hand.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Rowles dates back to the 13th century in Warwickshire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and taxpayers, the name is listed as "Rowel." This spelling variation indicates the name's connection to the Old English term.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various records across different counties in England. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1332, there is an entry for a "Roger Rowel" in Oxfordshire. Additionally, in the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, a "John Rowles" is listed in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Rowles was William Rowles, who was born in Staffordshire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a renowned scholar and theologian, serving as a fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford.
In the 16th century, the Rowles family established themselves in Gloucestershire, where they owned land and properties. A notable member of this branch was Sir Samuel Rowles (1577-1628), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire.
The Rowles name also has connections to place names in England. In the village of Rowley Regis, Staffordshire, the name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "row" and "leah," meaning a clearing in a row or line of trees.
Other notable individuals with the surname Rowles include Sir William Rowles (1617-1688), an English lawyer and politician who served as Solicitor-General during the reign of Charles II, and John Rowles (1936-2018), a renowned New Zealand singer and actor.
Throughout its history, the Rowles surname has been associated with various occupations, from scholars and politicians to artists and skilled tradesmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rowles
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowles, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rowles 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 Rowles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 2,453
- Black or African American7.1% · 209
- Two or more races4.2% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rowles
Rowles 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
#9,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,286
+248 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#10,451
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,933
-353 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,822 | 3,038 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,846 | 3,286 | 1.11 | +248 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #10,451 | 2,933 | 0.98 | -353 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 605 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 Rowles 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 | #9,846 | #10,451 | -6.1% |
| Count | 3,286 | 2,933 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 0.98 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rowles bearers went from 3,286 to 2,933 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 605 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,846 to #10,451.
FAQ
Rowles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rowles?
Name Census estimates that about 3,363 living Americans carry the surname Rowles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,919 residents.
How common is Rowles?
Rowles ranks #10,451 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,933 people with the surname Rowles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rowles.
Has Rowles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rowles went from 3,286 recorded bearers to 2,933. That is a decrease of 353 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,846 to #10,451.
What does the Census say about the background of Rowles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rowles, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Rowles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (2,453 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rowles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Rowles (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 Rowles mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived near a rull, meaning a small stream or rivulet. 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 Rowles (0.98 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 have the surname Rowles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.