NameCensus.

UK surname

Rosher

A locational surname originating from a place name derived from the Old French word "rosier" meaning "rose bush".

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Rosher surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, down from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfleet, London parishes and Gressenhall, Longham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Gateshead and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rosher is 265 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.9%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

2002

265 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rosher had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rosher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rosher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rosher 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 160 #17,555
1901 historical 242 #13,392
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 251 #15,631
1999 modern 253 #15,667
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 265 #15,197
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 246 #15,802
2006 modern 238 #16,288
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 239 #16,583
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 257 #16,598
2015 modern 253 #16,669
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Roshers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Gateshead, Scarborough, Barassie and Hounslow. 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 Northfleet Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 Gressenhall, Longham Norfolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 013 Breckland
2 Gateshead 019 Gateshead
3 Scarborough 003 Scarborough
4 Barassie South Ayrshire
5 Hounslow 023 Hounslow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rosher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rosher

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Rosher is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Rosher 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

Rosher falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rosher 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 Rosher, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rosher

The surname Rosher is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Cornwall. It is thought to be derived from the Cornish word "ros," meaning a small valley or a promontory projecting into the sea. Some linguists also suggest that it may have connections to the Old English word "hyrst," meaning a wooded hill or a hillock.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Rosher can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from 1284, where a certain Ricardus de Rosher is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John Rosher is listed as a taxpayer in the parish of St. Cleer, Cornwall. The Rosher family is also believed to have held lands and properties in the vicinity of Bodmin and Liskeard during this era.

One notable individual bearing the Rosher surname was Sir John Rosher, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in the Inquisitions Post Mortem records of 1487, where his estates and possessions are documented.

Another significant figure was William Rosher, born in 1612 in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. He was a merchant and landowner who played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Royalist cause. His descendants continued to hold influence in the region for several generations.

In the 18th century, the name Rosher appeared in various parish records and land deeds across Cornwall, indicating the family's continued presence in the area. One example is John Rosher, born in 1734 in St. Tudy, who was a prominent farmer and landowner.

The Rosher surname has also been associated with several place names in Cornwall, such as Rosher Ope, a coastal inlet near Polperro, and Rosher Farm, located in the parish of St. Cleer. These place names likely derived their nomenclature from the Rosher family's historical connections to those locations.

Throughout its history, the Rosher surname has also been subject to various spelling variations, including Roshar, Roshier, and Roshyre, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rosher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rosher 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. Suffolk leads with 34 Roshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.99x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 34 15.99x
Kent 24 4.03x
Yorkshire 22 1.27x
Middlesex 20 1.15x
Essex 15 4.35x
Surrey 11 1.29x
Cambridgeshire 10 9.04x
Lincolnshire 10 3.58x
Norfolk 10 3.72x
Huntingdonshire 6 17.31x
Durham 5 0.96x
Derbyshire 4 1.46x
Sussex 4 1.36x
Berkshire 2 1.53x
Hampshire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 4.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barking in Suffolk leads with 16 Roshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1454.55x.

Place Total Index
Barking 16 1454.55x
Cloughton 11 3333.33x
East Ham 11 171.88x
Northfleet 11 209.52x
St Pancras London 10 7.11x
Gressenhall 9 1800.00x
Higham 9 1125.00x
Whittlesey St Mary St 9 233.16x
Knettishall 7 14000.00x
Lambeth 7 4.60x
Spalding 6 108.30x
Warboys 6 600.00x
Middlestone 5 480.77x
Barmby On Moor 4 1538.46x
Camberwell 4 3.59x
Hadleigh 4 194.17x
Hunslet 4 14.83x
Little Clacton 4 1081.08x
Normanton 4 173.16x
Preston 4 77.82x
St Marylebone London 4 4.29x
Kirton 3 267.86x
Mickfield 3 2000.00x
Ormesby 3 64.52x
Stonham Earl 3 789.47x
Herne 2 75.76x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.32x
Bradfield 1 144.93x
Hackney London 1 1.02x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 16.78x
Islington London 1 0.59x
Kingsclere 1 61.35x
Margate St John Baptist 1 9.17x
New Windsor 1 22.68x
Norwich St Michael At 1 64.10x
Paddington London 1 1.56x
Royal Navy 1 5.62x
Shoreditch London 1 1.32x
St Maryle Wigford 1 46.08x
St Peter Cambridge 1 270.27x
Tonbridge 1 4.65x
Westminster St James 1 5.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
George 7
Alfred 5
William 5
Edward 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Henry 3
James 3
Samuel 3
Elias 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Horace 2
Jesse 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Allen 1
Barnard 1
Charles 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Hy. 1
Jabez 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Lillian 1
Noel 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Whinfred 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rosher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rosher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Rosher surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rosher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Rosher a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Rosher surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place name derived from the Old French word "rosier" meaning "rose bush".

What does the Rosher map show?

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