NameCensus.

UK surname

Rossi

An Italian toponymic surname indicating a person who came from a place with red soil or lived near roses.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Rossi surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,012, ranked #3,201, up from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastbourne, Copeland and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rossi is 2,012 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2135.6%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

2,012

2016, ranked #3,201

Peak year

2016

2,012 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rossi had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,012 in 2016, ranked #3,201.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 373 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Rossi surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rossi surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rossi 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 149 #18,420
1901 historical 373 #9,948
1911 historical 354 #10,192
1997 modern 1,458 #4,002
1998 modern 1,533 #3,975
1999 modern 1,580 #3,909
2000 modern 1,604 #3,849
2001 modern 1,538 #3,903
2002 modern 1,597 #3,860
2003 modern 1,571 #3,834
2004 modern 1,580 #3,819
2005 modern 1,584 #3,756
2006 modern 1,646 #3,649
2007 modern 1,663 #3,646
2008 modern 1,726 #3,554
2009 modern 1,787 #3,525
2010 modern 1,869 #3,462
2011 modern 1,823 #3,494
2012 modern 1,864 #3,387
2013 modern 1,923 #3,344
2014 modern 1,977 #3,294
2015 modern 1,985 #3,259
2016 modern 2,012 #3,201

Geography

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Where Rossis are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Eastbourne, Copeland, North Norfolk, Kensington and Chelsea and Mearnskirk and South Kirkhill. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastbourne 010 Eastbourne
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
4 Kensington and Chelsea 013 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Mearnskirk and South Kirkhill East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rossi

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rossi

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Rossi surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Rossi 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rossi is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rossi 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

Rossi falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rossi 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Rossi

The surname Rossi originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "rosso," meaning "red," and likely referred to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. The name first appeared in records from the 12th century in regions such as Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rossi can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard period, which mentions a certain "Petrus Rubeus" in 1175. This Latin form of the name translates to "Peter the Red," suggesting a connection to the Italian "Rossi."

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Rossi. Giovanni Battista Rossi (1494-1553) was a renowned architect from Florence who worked on the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Palazzo Pitti. Francesco de' Rossi (1510-1563) was a prominent Italian scholar and editor who published works by classical authors.

In the 17th century, Rossi emerged as a prominent surname in the arts and sciences. Adriana Basile Rossi (1591-1662) was a pioneering female architect and engineer from Venice, known for her work on the Convent of the Corpus Domini. Francesco Rosi (1634-1686) was a celebrated painter from Naples, renowned for his religious works and portraits.

The 18th century saw the rise of several influential Rossi figures. Luigi Rodolfo Rossi (1718-1790) was an Italian composer and music theorist from Livorno, known for his operas and treatises on music theory. Giovanni Gherardo de Rossi (1754-1827) was a prominent archaeologist and antiquarian from Rome, best known for his extensive collections of ancient inscriptions and artifacts.

In the 19th century, the Rossi surname gained prominence in the fields of science and politics. Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894) was a renowned archaeologist and Christian epigraphist from Rome, responsible for important discoveries in the Roman catacombs. Ernesto Rossi (1827-1896) was an influential Italian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 1887 to 1888.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rossi families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rossi 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 43 Rossis recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.79x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 4.79x
Norfolk 9 6.52x
Surrey 6 1.37x
Dorset 5 8.49x
Monmouthshire 5 7.71x
Devon 4 2.14x
Gloucestershire 4 2.27x
Hampshire 3 1.63x
Lanarkshire 3 1.03x
Glamorgan 2 1.28x
Channel Islands 1 3.76x
Durham 1 0.37x
Essex 1 0.56x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 1.80x
Renfrewshire 1 1.44x
Royal Navy 1 9.35x
Somerset 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clerkenwell London in Middlesex leads with 10 Rossis recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.21x.

Place Total Index
Clerkenwell London 10 47.21x
Charterhouse London 9 2142.86x
St Pancras London 9 12.46x
Hammersmith London 5 22.61x
Heigham 4 53.98x
Melcombe Regis 4 163.93x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 4 579.71x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 27.80x
Bedwellty 3 26.20x
Bermondsey 3 11.23x
Glasgow 3 5.82x
St Anne Soho London 3 58.48x
Bristol St Peter 2 317.46x
Cardiff St Mary 2 23.23x
Shanklin 2 363.64x
St Andrew Holborn 2 65.79x
Westminster St James 2 21.67x
Abbey 1 9.43x
Abbotsbury 1 333.33x
Battersea 1 3.03x
Bristol St Augustine 1 35.21x
Cheltenham 1 7.36x
Everton 1 2.95x
Framwellgate 1 63.29x
Hackney London 1 1.99x
Holy Rood 1 270.27x
Hornsey 1 8.81x
Kingston On Thames 1 9.52x
Lambeth 1 1.28x
Newport 1 32.26x
Norwich St Clement 1 62.50x
Royal Navy 1 10.94x
St Helier 1 11.55x
St Marylebone London 1 2.09x
St Woollos 1 13.81x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 86.21x
West Ham 1 2.56x
Witney 1 107.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 3
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Earnestina 1
Elina 1
Emily 1
F. 1
Fanny 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Leonira 1
Lillian 1
Lucy 1
Maddina 1
Maria 1
Rosina 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Luigi 6
Giovanni 4
John 3
Antonio 2
George 2
J. 2
James 2
Louis 2
P. 2
Pietro 2
Theodore 2
Alexander 1
Alfonso 1
Alfredo 1
Allesano 1
Angelo 1
Charles 1
David 1
Dominic 1
Dominio 1
Dominique 1
Enrico 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Joseph 1
L. 1
Lewis 1
Michele 1
O. 1
Paolo 1
Philip 1
Stefano 1
Thomas 1
Vicent 1

FAQ

Rossi surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rossi surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Rossi surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rossi surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,012 in 2016. That gives Rossi a modern rank of #3,201.

What does the Rossi surname mean?

An Italian toponymic surname indicating a person who came from a place with red soil or lived near roses.

What does the Rossi map show?

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