NameCensus.

UK surname

Roser

A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "rose garden" or "rose hedge."

In the 1881 census there were 308 people recorded with the Roser surname, ranking it #9,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 328, ranked #13,831, down from #9,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Wimbledon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roser is 436 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.5%.

1881 census count

308

Ranked #9,542

Modern count

328

2016, ranked #13,831

Peak year

1901

436 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roser had 308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 328 in 2016, ranked #13,831.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 436 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Roser surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Roser surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roser 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 270 #8,275
1861 historical 269 #9,244
1881 historical 308 #9,542
1891 historical 356 #9,697
1901 historical 436 #8,907
1911 historical 434 #8,740
1997 modern 326 #12,811
1998 modern 317 #13,392
1999 modern 324 #13,288
2000 modern 314 #13,516
2001 modern 300 #13,737
2002 modern 310 #13,697
2003 modern 317 #13,328
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 306 #13,862
2008 modern 309 #13,860
2009 modern 318 #13,863
2010 modern 326 #13,918
2011 modern 318 #14,023
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 327 #13,868
2014 modern 324 #14,058
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 328 #13,831

Geography

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Where Rosers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Wimbledon and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Hastings. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wimbledon Surrey
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 001 Wealden
2 Tonbridge and Malling 003 Tonbridge and Malling
3 Tunbridge Wells 006 Tunbridge Wells
4 Hastings 009 Hastings
5 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roser

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roser

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Roser is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roser is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roser 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 Roser 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 Roser, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roser

The surname Roser is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who cultivated roses or worked with roses in some capacity. The name is derived from the Old German word "rose," meaning the flower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roser can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this record, a certain "Henricus Roser" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.

During the 14th century, the name Roser appeared in various records across Germany, particularly in the southern regions. In the town of Augsburg, there is a record of a family called "die Roseren," which translates to "the Rosers," indicating their profession was likely related to roses or rose cultivation.

In the 15th century, the name Roser was also found in the Bavarian town of Nuremberg, where a notable figure named Hans Roser (1494-1562) was a successful merchant and member of the town council. His legacy is still remembered in the city's historical records.

Another prominent individual with the surname Roser was Johann Roser (1608-1683), a German theologian and author from Saxony. He was known for his works on religious matters and his contributions to the Lutheran church.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Roser was also present in various parts of Switzerland, particularly in the German-speaking regions. One notable example is the town of Roser, located in the canton of Graubünden, which likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the surname Roser in the area.

In the 18th century, the name Roser was found in records from the Palatinate region of Germany, where a family of wine merchants and vintners carried the surname. One such individual was Johann Friedrich Roser (1738-1805), a renowned winemaker and vineyard owner in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße.

As people migrated from German-speaking regions to other parts of Europe and the Americas, the surname Roser spread to different countries. However, its origins can be traced back to the German lands, where it was closely associated with the cultivation and trade of roses.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roser families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roser 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. Sussex leads with 127 Rosers recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.15x.

County Total Index
Sussex 127 25.15x
Surrey 61 4.18x
Kent 48 4.70x
Middlesex 39 1.30x
Hampshire 8 1.30x
Dorset 6 3.05x
Yorkshire 6 0.20x
Suffolk 4 1.10x
Leicestershire 3 0.90x
Bedfordshire 1 0.64x
Brecknockshire 1 1.67x
Glamorgan 1 0.19x
Monmouthshire 1 0.46x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 55 Rosers recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.99x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 55 53.99x
Tonbridge 32 86.84x
Eastbourne 17 73.18x
Lambeth 15 5.74x
Godstone 11 421.46x
Lindfield 11 516.43x
Hadlow 9 355.73x
Clayton 8 421.05x
Lewes All Sts 7 348.26x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 11.62x
Croydon 6 7.41x
Paddington London 6 5.45x
St Anne Soho London 6 35.09x
St Marylebone London 6 3.75x
Weymouth 6 161.29x
Kingston On Thames 5 14.27x
Portsea 5 4.16x
St Giles In Fields 5 48.40x
Wimbledon 5 30.53x
Bromley London 4 6.07x
Holy Trinity 4 5.60x
Hurstpierpoint 4 142.35x
Ipswich St Mathew 4 39.14x
Lewes St John Under 4 579.71x
Subdeanary 4 294.12x
Ewhurst 3 329.67x
Glynde 3 1034.48x
Horsham 3 30.58x
Leicester All Sts 3 46.01x
Preston 3 34.01x
St Thomas Apostle 3 7500.00x
Beckenham 2 14.97x
Carshalton 2 35.84x
Chiddingly 2 219.78x
Hove 2 9.03x
Islington London 2 0.69x
Mereworth 2 243.90x
Penge 2 10.45x
Poplar London 2 3.54x
Ripon 2 29.07x
Woolwich 2 5.30x
Acton 1 5.69x
Alverstoke 1 4.50x
Bletchingley 1 52.63x
Camberwell 1 0.52x
Clase 1 5.16x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 10.11x
Falmer 1 169.49x
Hammersmith London 1 1.36x
Hound 1 23.98x
Kensington London 1 0.60x
Lewes St Michael 1 100.00x
Llangunider 1 26.81x
Llanvihangel Pontymoile 1 263.16x
Llanycefn 1 256.41x
Luton 1 3.73x
Newington 1 0.90x
Reigate Foreign 1 6.33x
Southwick 1 37.45x
Tottenham 1 2.10x
Ventnor 1 17.12x
Waldron 1 72.46x
Wandsworth 1 3.47x
Westminster St James 1 3.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 21
George 18
Henry 8
Frederick 7
Albert 5
Charles 5
James 5
Thomas 5
Edward 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Alex 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo.A. 1
Joseph 1
Leopold 1
R.T. 1
Richd. 1
Timothy 1
Vallance 1
Wallace 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Roser surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roser surname in 1881?

In 1881, 308 people were recorded with the Roser surname. That placed it at #9,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roser surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 328 in 2016. That gives Roser a modern rank of #13,831.

What does the Roser surname mean?

A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "rose garden" or "rose hedge."

What does the Roser map show?

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