NameCensus.

UK surname

Rolfe

A surname of Old Norse origin, derived from the word "Hrolfr," meaning "wolf."

In the 1881 census there were 3,882 people recorded with the Rolfe surname, ranking it #1,172 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,220, ranked #1,290, down from #1,172 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mildenhall, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest Heath, Basingstoke and Deane and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rolfe is 5,778 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.5%.

1881 census count

3,882

Ranked #1,172

Modern count

5,220

2016, ranked #1,290

Peak year

1911

5,778 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rolfe had 3,882 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,172 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,220 in 2016, ranked #1,290.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,778 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rolfe surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rolfe surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rolfe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rolfe over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,405 #1,237
1861 historical 2,029 #1,430
1881 historical 3,882 #1,172
1891 historical 4,326 #1,097
1901 historical 5,308 #1,061
1911 historical 5,778 #901
1997 modern 5,510 #1,184
1998 modern 5,679 #1,192
1999 modern 5,734 #1,193
2000 modern 5,680 #1,198
2001 modern 5,569 #1,194
2002 modern 5,666 #1,196
2003 modern 5,526 #1,197
2004 modern 5,480 #1,204
2005 modern 5,291 #1,236
2006 modern 5,227 #1,248
2007 modern 5,248 #1,251
2008 modern 5,262 #1,263
2009 modern 5,377 #1,264
2010 modern 5,473 #1,271
2011 modern 5,377 #1,278
2012 modern 5,222 #1,288
2013 modern 5,287 #1,293
2014 modern 5,317 #1,293
2015 modern 5,269 #1,292
2016 modern 5,220 #1,290

Geography

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Where Rolfes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mildenhall, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest Heath, Basingstoke and Deane, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Mid Suffolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Mildenhall Suffolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
2 Forest Heath 004 Forest Heath
3 Basingstoke and Deane 014 Basingstoke and Deane
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Mid Suffolk 010 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rolfe

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rolfe surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rolfe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rolfe, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rolfe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rolfe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rolfe is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rolfe is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rolfe falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rolfe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rolfe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rolfe

The surname Rolfe originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'rolf' or 'rolfe', meaning 'wolf'. The name likely referred to someone who had wolf-like characteristics or displayed bravery and fierceness in battle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Rolfe in the county of Suffolk.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records from different regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Rolf, Rolff, and Rolfe.

The surname Rolfe has been associated with notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of the name was John Rolfe (1585-1622), an English settler in Virginia. He is best known for being the first to cultivate tobacco as a cash crop and for his marriage to Pocahontas, the daughter of the Native American chief Powhatan.

Another prominent figure with the surname Rolfe was Robert Monsey Rolfe (1786-1853), an English politician and member of parliament. He served as the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and was a prominent landowner in the county.

Baron Noel Rolfe (1888-1977) was a British soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1942 to 1944. He played a significant role in the colonial administration of the region.

In the literary world, Frederick William Rolfe (1860-1913), also known by his pseudonym Baron Corvo, was an English novelist and writer. He is best known for his autobiographical novel "Hadrian the Seventh".

John Rolfe (1942-2005) was a British actor and playwright, known for his roles in various television series and stage productions. He was a prominent figure in the British entertainment industry.

The surname Rolfe has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including politics, literature, and colonial administration. It remains a well-established surname in England and other parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rolfe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rolfe surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 724 Rolfes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 724 1.91x
Kent 478 3.70x
Surrey 376 2.04x
Suffolk 337 7.30x
Essex 282 3.77x
Norfolk 265 4.55x
Buckinghamshire 239 10.43x
Hampshire 223 2.87x
Berkshire 166 5.84x
Sussex 96 1.50x
Yorkshire 85 0.23x
Oxfordshire 70 2.99x
Northamptonshire 69 1.94x
Cambridgeshire 60 2.50x
Wiltshire 57 1.70x
Hertfordshire 52 1.99x
Lancashire 41 0.09x
Durham 40 0.35x
Lincolnshire 29 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 29 0.57x
Staffordshire 27 0.21x
Warwickshire 24 0.25x
Somerset 19 0.31x
Bedfordshire 11 0.56x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.69x
Gloucestershire 11 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.46x
Cheshire 7 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 7 0.84x
Leicestershire 7 0.17x
Derbyshire 6 0.10x
Royal Navy 6 1.33x
Flintshire 4 0.39x
Shropshire 4 0.12x
Channel Islands 3 0.27x
Dorset 3 0.12x
Perthshire 2 0.12x
Worcestershire 2 0.04x
Fife 1 0.04x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 90 Rolfes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.72x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 90 2.72x
Islington London 74 2.02x
Beaconsfield 70 329.88x
Aston Clinton 58 298.66x
Mildenhall 58 118.27x
Camberwell 49 2.02x
Kensington London 49 2.33x
Shalbourn 49 459.66x
St Pancras London 48 1.57x
Hackney London 47 2.21x
Shoreditch London 47 2.86x
Bucknell 38 1104.65x
Methwold 38 201.70x
Tring 38 54.50x
Chelmsford 37 28.83x
Bethnal Green London 36 2.19x
Battersea 33 2.37x
Brighton 33 2.56x
St Marylebone London 32 1.58x
West Ham 32 1.94x
Hampstead London 31 5.25x
Hythe St Leonard 31 67.86x
Deptford St Paul 30 3.01x
Newington 30 2.14x
Hammersmith London 29 3.11x
Wycombe 29 16.98x
Bury St Edmunds St James 28 22.72x
Kingsclere 28 78.94x
Margate St John Baptist 28 11.83x
Mile End Old Town 27 4.51x
Cheriton 26 49.35x
St George Hanover 26 5.26x
Tonbridge 25 5.36x
Walton On Thames 25 29.49x
Wetheringsett Cum 25 186.43x
Andover 24 32.71x
Westminster St James 23 5.91x
Folkestone 22 8.77x
Hayes 22 56.91x
Hillingdon 22 18.21x
Inkpen 22 245.26x
Rochester St Margaret 21 15.40x
St Luke London 21 3.46x
Woolwich 21 4.40x
Lympne 20 274.35x
Acton 19 8.55x
Paddington London 19 1.36x
Whepstead 19 238.99x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 18 20.78x
Good Easter 18 267.06x
Chelsea London 17 1.49x
Ham 17 658.91x
Harlington 17 85.13x
Lewisham 17 2.47x
Croydon 16 1.56x
Springfield 16 48.83x
Depden 15 510.20x
Harpole 15 139.15x
Hunshelf 15 81.52x
Newbury 15 16.47x
Stoke By Nayland 15 100.60x
Stow Bardolph 15 86.56x
Layham 14 201.15x
Takeley 14 130.84x
Bermondsey 13 1.15x
Bressingham 13 196.97x
St Andrewthe Less 13 4.74x
St Lawrence 13 14.63x
Upton Cum Chalvey 13 14.24x
Wandsworth 13 3.56x
Aston 12 0.46x
Birmingham 12 0.38x
Buckland In Dover 12 28.01x
Lawshall 12 115.83x
Ashford 11 8.74x
Dover St Mary Virgin 11 8.79x
Freshwater 11 31.00x
Maidstone 11 2.86x
Oldham 11 0.76x
Rotherhithe 11 2.35x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rolfe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 213
Elizabeth 148
Sarah 131
Eliza 68
Annie 66
Jane 65
Emma 63
Emily 60
Alice 59
Ellen 59
Ann 57
Martha 43
Harriet 35
Louisa 34
Hannah 33
Edith 32
Caroline 31
Kate 30
Ada 27
Maria 27
Charlotte 24
Susan 24
Harriett 23
Lucy 22
Margaret 21
Agnes 19
Clara 18
Fanny 18
Anne 17
Florence 16
Sophia 16
Minnie 13
Catherine 12
Frances 12
Esther 11
Rose 11
Elizth. 9
Jessie 9
Rachel 9
Susannah 9
Adelaide 8
Amelia 8
Amy 8
Bessie 8
Ethel 8
Maud 8
Rebecca 8
Selina 8
Matilda 7
Ruth 7

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rolfe surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 247
John 162
George 155
James 111
Henry 106
Thomas 100
Charles 90
Frederick 59
Robert 56
Arthur 54
Alfred 50
Walter 47
Joseph 46
Edward 44
Harry 33
Richard 32
Albert 28
Samuel 25
Herbert 20
Edwin 19
Frank 18
Ernest 14
Daniel 13
Benjamin 11
David 11
Francis 10
Thos. 9
Edmund 8
Percy 8
Sidney 8
Wm. 8
Fred 7
Fredk. 7
Geo. 7
Isaac 7
Mark 7
Owen 7
Sydney 7
Chas. 5
Edgar 5
Jesse 5
Philip 5
Stephen 5
Alexander 4
Horace 4
Abraham 3
Henery 3
Leonard 3
Nicholas 3
Sion 3

FAQ

Rolfe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rolfe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,882 people were recorded with the Rolfe surname. That placed it at #1,172 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rolfe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,220 in 2016. That gives Rolfe a modern rank of #1,290.

What does the Rolfe surname mean?

A surname of Old Norse origin, derived from the word "Hrolfr," meaning "wolf."

What does the Rolfe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rolfe bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.