NameCensus.

UK surname

Rooker

An English occupational surname referring to a cheater or a crooked person.

In the 1881 census there were 280 people recorded with the Rooker surname, ranking it #10,202 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 372, ranked #12,539, down from #10,202 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, South Hams and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rooker is 420 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.9%.

1881 census count

280

Ranked #10,202

Modern count

372

2016, ranked #12,539

Peak year

1999

420 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rooker had 280 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,202 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 372 in 2016, ranked #12,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 384 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rooker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rooker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rooker 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 209 #11,596
1881 historical 280 #10,202
1891 historical 324 #10,453
1901 historical 343 #10,583
1911 historical 384 #9,571
1997 modern 404 #10,931
1998 modern 416 #11,037
1999 modern 420 #11,035
2000 modern 420 #10,998
2001 modern 398 #11,276
2002 modern 394 #11,561
2003 modern 390 #11,467
2004 modern 381 #11,700
2005 modern 384 #11,538
2006 modern 396 #11,338
2007 modern 385 #11,698
2008 modern 380 #11,942
2009 modern 377 #12,269
2010 modern 395 #12,105
2011 modern 406 #11,730
2012 modern 372 #12,374
2013 modern 381 #12,360
2014 modern 371 #12,689
2015 modern 365 #12,743
2016 modern 372 #12,539

Geography

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Where Rookers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, South Hams, Barnsley, Cornwall and Wakefield. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
2 South Hams 009 South Hams
3 Barnsley 028 Barnsley
4 Cornwall 028 Cornwall
5 Wakefield 005 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rooker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rooker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rooker, 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 Rooker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rooker 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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Rooker is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Rooker is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rooker falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rooker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rooker

The surname Rooker has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "roc," meaning rook, a type of crow. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a rookery, a colony of rooks, or perhaps had a physical resemblance to the bird.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rooker can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where a person named William Rooker is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, suggesting that the Rooker family may have held some prominence or wealth during that time.

In the 14th century, the spelling variations of the name included Rooker, Rooker, and Rouker. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions before the standardization of modern English.

The name Rooker has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir Samuel Rooker (1572-1629), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King James I.

Another prominent figure with the surname Rooker was Michael Rooker (1615-1645), an English engraver and book illustrator known for his intricate etchings and engravings in the Baroque style. His works adorned many notable publications of his time.

In the 18th century, John Rooker (1721-1779) was a notable English landscape painter and engraver. He was particularly renowned for his topographical views of London and its surroundings.

The name Rooker also appears in the history of early American settlement. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Edward Rooker, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and is considered one of the first English settlers in the colony.

Another notable figure was Michael Rooker (1746-1801), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner and politician in North Carolina.

Throughout its history, the surname Rooker has been associated with various occupations, from lawyers and judges to artists and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rooker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rooker 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. Warwickshire leads with 109 Rookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.82x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 109 15.82x
Staffordshire 81 8.79x
Yorkshire 19 0.70x
Lancashire 16 0.49x
Middlesex 16 0.59x
Devon 8 1.41x
Surrey 7 0.53x
Berkshire 5 2.44x
Cheshire 5 0.83x
Gloucestershire 5 0.93x
Northamptonshire 4 1.56x
Bedfordshire 1 0.71x
Cumberland 1 0.43x
Derbyshire 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 59 Rookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.11x.

Place Total Index
Aston 59 31.11x
Birmingham 44 19.17x
Sedgley 35 102.22x
St Pancras London 12 5.46x
Walsall Foreign 11 23.10x
Wolverhampton 11 15.52x
Pendleton In Salford 10 25.90x
Harborne 8 27.07x
Brightside Bierlow 7 13.19x
Leeds 6 3.93x
Sutton Coldfield 6 82.87x
Clifton 5 18.46x
Kingswinford 5 14.94x
Ashton On Mersey 4 128.21x
Bideford 4 65.68x
Clifton In Halifax 4 246.91x
Sonning 4 176.99x
Ardwick 3 10.26x
Newington 3 2.97x
Peterborough 3 16.13x
West Bromwich 3 5.68x
Beddington 2 38.84x
Bilston 2 11.19x
Everton 2 1.94x
Islington London 2 0.76x
Middlesbrough 2 5.68x
Pennycross 2 416.67x
Seighford 2 273.97x
Tipton 2 7.08x
Warlingham 2 185.19x
Westminster St James 2 7.12x
Abingdon St Helen 1 16.69x
Ampthill 1 47.39x
Arlecdon 1 16.00x
Burley 1 169.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.94x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 43.10x
Hanbury 1 200.00x
Littleover 1 136.99x
Plymouth Charles The 1 3.99x
Tattenhall 1 97.09x
Upton On Severn 1 42.74x
Wednesfield 1 7.37x
Wellingborough 1 7.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Sarah 11
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Amy 4
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Caroline 3
Emily 3
Lucy 3
Agness 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Nelly 2
Phoebe 2
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Carrie 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Christine 1
Constance 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Hembrow 1
Henrietta 1
Jememia 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
John 1
Lillie 1
Lizze 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
John 14
Thomas 12
George 11
James 7
Albert 5
Charles 5
Joseph 5
Arthur 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
Isaac 3
Stephen 3
Enoch 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Jno. 2
Bertie 1
Edmond 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Frederick 1
Jas. 1
Jessie 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Paul 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
Waltham 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Rooker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rooker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 280 people were recorded with the Rooker surname. That placed it at #10,202 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rooker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 372 in 2016. That gives Rooker a modern rank of #12,539.

What does the Rooker surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a cheater or a crooked person.

What does the Rooker map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rooker 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.