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

Rowser, 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 Rowser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rowser in America

Rowser is the 33164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rowser surname appeared 690 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rowser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rowser 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 Rowser

The surname ROWSER is believed to have originated in the British Isles, likely emerging during the medieval period. Its root can be traced back to the Old English word "rowsian," which means "to roar" or "to make a loud noise." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a particularly loud or boisterous voice.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ROWSER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, where a certain Richard le Rowser is mentioned. These rolls were financial records kept by the Crown, indicating that an individual with this surname was present in the region during that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Rowser, Rousour, and Rowsour, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the era. For instance, the records of the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Rowsour residing in the county of Essex.

The ROWSER surname is also linked to certain place names, particularly those derived from Old English words related to noise or commotion. One example is the village of Rowsham in Oxfordshire, which may have influenced the name's spelling and geographic distribution.

Among the notable individuals bearing the ROWSER surname throughout history, one can mention:

1. William Rowser (c. 1540-1605), an English playwright and satirist known for his works critiquing the social and political climate of Elizabethan England.

2. Margaret Rowser (1628-1692), a prominent Quaker preacher and activist from Bristol, who was imprisoned several times for her religious beliefs and advocacy for women's rights.

3. John Rowser (1745-1819), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ipswich.

4. Robert Rowser (1801-1876), a Scottish engineer and inventor credited with developing an early prototype of the steam-powered lawnmower.

5. Emily Rowser (1865-1944), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the lives of women in the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the ROWSER surname may not be among the most common today, its origins and historical references reflect the rich tapestry of linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped the surnames we encounter.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rowser

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

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

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

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