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

Rowley, 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 Rowley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rowley in America

Rowley is the 2338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rowley surname appeared 15,588 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Rowley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rowley 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.

The history of the last name Rowley

The surname Rowley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ra" meaning rough and "leah" meaning woodland clearing, referring to someone who lived in or near a rough woodland clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rowley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Rauleia" and "Raueleia." This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, including Ralegh, Rawley, and Rowleigh, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552-1618), an English writer, poet, soldier, and explorer who is best known for his expeditions to the Americas and his role in establishing the first English colony on Roanoke Island.

In the 16th century, the Rowley surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire. The village of Rowley Regis in the West Midlands is believed to have taken its name from a family that lived in the area during this period.

Another notable figure with the Rowley surname was William Rowley (c. 1585-1642), an English dramatist and playwright who collaborated with several prominent writers of the Jacobean era, including William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, and Thomas Middleton.

In the 18th century, Thomas Rowley (1721-1796) was a renowned English clergyman and antiquarian who is best remembered for his literary forgeries, which he claimed were the works of a 15th-century monk named Thomas Rowley. These forgeries sparked a heated debate in literary circles and earned him both praise and criticism.

The 19th century saw the rise of Sir Joshua Rowley (1804-1859), a British naval officer and explorer who served as the Governor of the Bahamas and the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize). He played a significant role in the establishment of British settlements in the Caribbean and Central America.

Throughout history, the Rowley surname has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, landowners, clergymen, writers, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rowley

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

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 Rowley was:

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 Rowley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Rowley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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