2000
#49,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Roskam
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone who lived near bushes or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 462 Americans carry the last name Roskam. That puts it at #55,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 741,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roskam 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
462
1 in 741,893
Census rank
#55,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
403
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 403 bearers of the surname Roskam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskam, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roskam
The surname Roskam has its origins in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "ros," meaning a horse or reddish-brown color, combined with "kam," which refers to a comb or ridge. This suggests the name may have originated from a particular geographic area characterized by a distinctive reddish-brown ridge or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Roskam surname can be found in the Dutch baptismal records from the city of Leiden in 1598, where a certain Pieter Roskam is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in various municipal records from the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Zeeland during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 19th century, the Roskam surname gained more prominence with the birth of Cornelis Roskam (1829-1904), a notable Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands. Another individual of significance was Johannes Roskam (1870-1945), a Dutch poet and writer known for his contributions to the literary scene of that era.
The Roskam name also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond, with records indicating individuals bearing this surname in Germany, Belgium, and even as far as the United States. For instance, in the late 19th century, a certain William Roskam (1861-1938) was a successful businessman and real estate developer in Chicago, Illinois.
Another notable figure was Maarten Roskam (1915-1998), a renowned Dutch architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and redesign of several cities in the Netherlands after World War II. His works have left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of the country.
Throughout history, the Roskam surname has been associated with various professions, from politicians and writers to businessmen and architects, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roskam
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskam, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Roskam 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 Roskam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 381
- Two or more races2.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 4
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roskam
Roskam 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
#48,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
+35 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 801 places
2020
#55,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
-35 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,826 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,057 | 403 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,256 | 438 | 0.15 | +35 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 801 places |
| 2020 | #55,082 | 403 | 0.13 | -35 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 6,826 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 Roskam 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 | #48,256 | #55,082 | -14.1% |
| Count | 438 | 403 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.13 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roskam bearers went from 438 to 403 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 6,826 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,256 to #55,082.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Roskam
FAQ
Roskam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roskam?
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the surname Roskam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 741,893 residents.
How common is Roskam?
Roskam ranks #55,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 403 people with the surname Roskam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Roskam.
Has Roskam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roskam went from 438 recorded bearers to 403. That is a decrease of 35 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,256 to #55,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Roskam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roskam, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Roskam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roskam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Roskam (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 Roskam mean?
A surname of Dutch origin referring to someone who lived near bushes or brambles. 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 Roskam (0.13 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 common is the surname Roskam?
If you just want to know how many people are called Roskam, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.