2000
#25,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 902
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Rosman
A surname derived from a place name in Scotland, likely referring to someone from the town of Rosemarkie.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,084 Americans carry the last name Rosman. That puts it at #27,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 316,194 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rosman 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
1.1K
1 in 316,194
Census rank
#27,085
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
945
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 945 bearers of the surname Rosman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rosman
The surname Rosman originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Rosmarin," which means "rosemary." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who cultivated or traded in rosemary, a fragrant herb that was highly prized during that time.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Rosman can be found in the town of Roßwein, located in the former East Germany, where a family with this surname was recorded in the local church records in the late 1500s. It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive nickname or a reference to a place name related to rosemary cultivation.
In the 17th century, the Rosman surname started to appear in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Brandenburg. Records from this period indicate that several Rosman families were involved in various trades, including agriculture, craftsmanship, and commerce.
One notable individual bearing the Rosman surname was Johann Rosman (1592-1668), a German theologian and educator from Saxony. He served as a professor of theology at the University of Leipzig and was known for his contributions to the study of the Bible and Protestant theology.
Another significant figure was Friedrich Rosman (1770-1849), a German painter and etcher from Berlin. He was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings, which depicted the natural beauty of Germany and other European regions.
In the 19th century, some Rosman families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and the Americas, seeking new opportunities and a better life. One such individual was Heinrich Rosman (1824-1897), who left Germany and settled in the United States, where he became a successful farmer and landowner in the state of Wisconsin.
Another noteworthy person was Alois Rosman (1864-1932), an Austrian architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and urban developments in Vienna and other cities in Austria-Hungary.
The Rosman surname has also been found in other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Poland, although its origins can be traced back to Germany. Over the centuries, various spelling variations of the name have emerged, including Roßmann, Rosmann, and Rosman.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rosman
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rosman 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 Rosman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 851
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 43
- Two or more races2.6% · 25
- Black or African American1.5% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rosman
Rosman 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
#25,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 978
+76 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 359 places
2020
#27,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 945
-33 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,771 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,673 | 902 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,314 | 978 | 0.33 | +76 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 359 places |
| 2020 | #27,085 | 945 | 0.32 | -33 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 1,771 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 Rosman 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 | #25,314 | #27,085 | -7.0% |
| Count | 978 | 945 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.32 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rosman bearers went from 978 to 945 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 1,771 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,314 to #27,085.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rosman
FAQ
Rosman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rosman?
Name Census estimates that about 1,084 living Americans carry the surname Rosman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 316,194 residents.
How common is Rosman?
Rosman ranks #27,085 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 945 people with the surname Rosman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,084), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Rosman.
Has Rosman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rosman went from 978 recorded bearers to 945. That is a decrease of 33 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,314 to #27,085.
What does the Census say about the background of Rosman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rosman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rosman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rosman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rosman (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 Rosman mean?
A surname derived from a place name in Scotland, likely referring to someone from the town of Rosemarkie. 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 Rosman (0.32 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 share the surname Rosman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.