UK surname
A habitational name referring to someone from a place with red-colored buildings or houses.
In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Roodhouse surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 58, ranked #34,457, down from #18,888 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roodhouse is 123 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 46.3%.
1881 census count
108
Ranked #18,888
Modern count
58
2016, ranked #34,457
Peak year
1911
123 bearers
Map years
4
1881 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Roodhouse surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Roodhouse surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 58 | #22,928 |
| 1861 | historical | 85 | #22,922 |
| 1881 | historical | 108 | #18,888 |
| 1891 | historical | 118 | #21,540 |
| 1901 | historical | 118 | #20,721 |
| 1911 | historical | 123 | #20,128 |
| 1997 | modern | 66 | #31,038 |
| 1998 | modern | 73 | #30,681 |
| 1999 | modern | 62 | #31,893 |
| 2000 | modern | 61 | #32,039 |
| 2001 | modern | 58 | #32,180 |
| 2002 | modern | 61 | #32,286 |
| 2003 | modern | 60 | #32,446 |
| 2004 | modern | 58 | #32,880 |
| 2005 | modern | 60 | #32,917 |
| 2006 | modern | 62 | #33,043 |
| 2007 | modern | 61 | #33,440 |
| 2008 | modern | 61 | #33,655 |
| 2009 | modern | 60 | #33,989 |
| 2010 | modern | 60 | #34,205 |
| 2011 | modern | 57 | #34,393 |
| 2012 | modern | 61 | #34,228 |
| 2013 | modern | 61 | #34,317 |
| 2014 | modern | 62 | #34,281 |
| 2015 | modern | 56 | #34,571 |
| 2016 | modern | 58 | #34,457 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, London parishes, Manchester, Darfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silkstone | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Darfield | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Sheffield | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Roodhouse surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Roodhouse, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Roodhouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Roodhouse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Roodhouse is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roodhouse is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Roodhouse, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Roodhouse has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "rod" and "hus," meaning a house or dwelling associated with a clearing or rood of land. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a particular house or settlement in a cleared area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the parish records of Worfield, Shropshire, where a Thomas Roodhouse was mentioned in 1587. Another early record comes from the Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire in 1672, which lists a William Roodhouse.
In the 17th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Roodhowse, Roudhouse, and Roadhouse, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire, suggesting that these areas may have been the epicenters of the surname's origins.
One notable figure bearing the Roodhouse name was Sir John Roodhouse (1592-1667), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1665. He played a significant role in the city's response to the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London the following year.
Another individual of historical significance was Sir Samuel Roodhouse (1749-1821), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles and was knighted for his service.
In the 18th century, the surname Roodhouse can be found in various records, including the baptismal records of St. Michael's Church in Alnwick, Northumberland, where a George Roodhouse was mentioned in 1748.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when a Thomas Roodhouse is listed among the inhabitants of Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1679.
Other notable individuals with the Roodhouse surname include John Roodhouse (1735-1805), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, and Robert Roodhouse (1886-1956), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Blackburn from 1935 to 1945.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roodhouse surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 75 Roodhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.18x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 75 | 7.18x |
| Lancashire | 10 | 0.80x |
| Cheshire | 7 | 3.01x |
| Middlesex | 6 | 0.57x |
| Warwickshire | 6 | 2.26x |
| Surrey | 3 | 0.58x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.28x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 13 Roodhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.71x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 13 | 120.71x |
| Leeds | 12 | 20.36x |
| Roystone | 9 | 2195.12x |
| Kexborough | 8 | 3636.36x |
| Crumpsall | 7 | 237.29x |
| Mottram | 6 | 571.43x |
| Potter Newton | 6 | 326.09x |
| Shadwell | 6 | 1500.00x |
| Sutton Coldfield | 6 | 215.05x |
| Great Houghton | 5 | 3846.15x |
| St George Martyr | 5 | 280.90x |
| Balby Cum Hexthorpe | 4 | 320.00x |
| Rotherham | 3 | 51.02x |
| Southwark St Saviour | 3 | 55.45x |
| Wakefield | 3 | 37.45x |
| Askern | 2 | 1000.00x |
| Darfield | 2 | 210.53x |
| Reddish | 2 | 116.28x |
| Bowdon | 1 | 108.70x |
| Chapel Allerton | 1 | 64.10x |
| Cheetham | 1 | 10.73x |
| Lofthouse Cum Carlton | 1 | 78.74x |
| Longnor | 1 | 526.32x |
| St Giles In Fields | 1 | 27.55x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Roodhouse surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Roodhouse surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Roodhouse households.
FAQ
In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Roodhouse surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 58 in 2016. That gives Roodhouse a modern rank of #34,457.
A habitational name referring to someone from a place with red-colored buildings or houses.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Roodhouse bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.