NameCensus.

UK surname

Rosen

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "rose," referring to a person who lived near a rose garden or sold roses.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Rosen surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 849, ranked #6,584, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East and Christ Church Spitalfields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rosen is 883 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 590.2%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

849

2016, ranked #6,584

Peak year

1911

883 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rosen had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016, ranked #6,584.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 883 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Rosen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rosen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rosen 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 272 #11,957
1901 historical 604 #7,038
1911 historical 883 #5,042
1997 modern 817 #6,427
1998 modern 824 #6,601
1999 modern 845 #6,515
2000 modern 819 #6,649
2001 modern 813 #6,560
2002 modern 825 #6,611
2003 modern 840 #6,393
2004 modern 827 #6,493
2005 modern 807 #6,572
2006 modern 812 #6,534
2007 modern 808 #6,632
2008 modern 799 #6,754
2009 modern 809 #6,825
2010 modern 848 #6,706
2011 modern 841 #6,670
2012 modern 828 #6,662
2013 modern 865 #6,550
2014 modern 862 #6,601
2015 modern 846 #6,640
2016 modern 849 #6,584

Geography

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Where Rosens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East, Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and Hull Holy Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet and Bury. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
4 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
5 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 033 Barnet
2 Bury 026 Bury
3 Barnet 014 Barnet
4 Barnet 038 Barnet
5 Barnet 007 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rosen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rosen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rosen, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Rosen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Rosen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Rosen 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

Rosen is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rosen falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rosen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Rosen

The surname Rosen is of German origin, derived from the German word "Rose," which means a flower. This name likely originated as a descriptive name or as an occupational name for a person who cultivated roses or lived near a place where roses grew abundantly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rosen can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. A person named Hans Rosen was mentioned in a document from 1386.

In the 16th century, the name Rosen appeared in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. During this time, variations of the name such as Rößlein, Röschen, and Rosenfeld also emerged.

A notable early bearer of the name was Johann Rosen, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1532 to 1603. He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Reformation movement.

The surname Rosen also found its way into other European countries, including the Netherlands and Poland. In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled as Roosen or Roosjen, while in Poland, it took the form of Różański or Różycki.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Rosen was the German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who is credited with developing infinitesimal calculus independently of Sir Isaac Newton.

Another notable figure was Nils Rosen (1859-1951), a Swedish chemist and inventor who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1912 for his work on the study of organic dyes and related catalytic processes.

In the United States, the surname Rosen gained prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly among Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. One prominent American with this name was David Rosen (1876-1962), a lawyer and politician who served as the United States Ambassador to Siam (now Thailand) from 1933 to 1941.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rosen include Milton Rosen (1915-1986), an American mathematician known for his contributions to game theory and mathematical economics, and Philip Rosen (1888-1951), an American film director and producer who worked in the early years of Hollywood.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rosen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rosen 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 58 Rosens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.83x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 58 4.83x
Kent 19 4.64x
Yorkshire 13 1.09x
Lancashire 10 0.70x
Leicestershire 5 3.76x
Gloucestershire 4 1.70x
Pembrokeshire 4 10.49x
Sussex 3 1.48x
Lincolnshire 2 1.04x
Northumberland 2 1.12x
Bedfordshire 1 1.61x
Shropshire 1 0.96x
Surrey 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 19 Rosens recorded in 1881 and an index of 210.64x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 19 210.64x
Bethnal Green London 9 17.27x
Leeds 9 13.40x
Maidstone 9 73.83x
St George In East 7 85.78x
Whitechapel London 7 59.17x
Lea Ashton Ingol 6 631.58x
Westminster St 6 135.75x
Gillingham 5 59.24x
Leicester St Margaret 5 15.41x
Tonbridge 5 33.88x
Bow London 4 26.20x
Holy Trinity 4 13.99x
Pembroke St Mary 4 81.47x
Great Bolton 3 15.91x
Newland 3 151.52x
Brighton 2 4.90x
Calceby 2 6666.67x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 21.62x
Old Artillery Ground 2 194.17x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 166.67x
Bedford St Paul 1 23.47x
Blackley 1 40.00x
Chelsea London 1 2.77x
Church Icomb 1 1666.67x
East Grinstead 1 34.97x
Norbury 1 666.67x
St Pancras London 1 1.04x
Tandridge 1 400.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Louisa 3
Annie 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Mary 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Alice 1
Anna 1
Eyatty 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Helene 1
Hermine 1
Hester 1
Jane 1
Josepha 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Louise 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Marion 1
Milly 1
Minnie 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecker 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
George 4
Jacob 4
Frederick 3
Harris 3
Abraham 2
Arthur 2
Davis 2
Edward 2
Fredrick 2
John 2
Lewis 2
Morris 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Barnett 1
Bertha 1
Calmen 1
Carl 1
Charles 1
David 1
Ephrain 1
Feishel 1
Friedrich 1
Geo.W. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Herburt 1
Hermann 1
Israel 1
Jay 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Leopold 1
Louis 1
Marks 1
Marus 1
Michael 1
Nathan 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Rebern 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Rosen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rosen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Rosen surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rosen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016. That gives Rosen a modern rank of #6,584.

What does the Rosen surname mean?

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "rose," referring to a person who lived near a rose garden or sold roses.

What does the Rosen map show?

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