NameCensus.

UK surname

Rother

A locational German surname derived from the name of the river Rother.

In the 1881 census there were 26 people recorded with the Rother surname, ranking it #29,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 113, ranked #28,691, up from #29,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wandsworth, Cornwall and Canterbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rother is 113 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 334.6%.

1881 census count

26

Ranked #29,911

Modern count

113

2016, ranked #28,691

Peak year

2002

113 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rother had 26 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016, ranked #28,691.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 88 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Rother surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rother surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rother 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 26 #29,911
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 113 #28,691

Geography

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Where Rothers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wandsworth, Cornwall and Canterbury. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wandsworth 003 Wandsworth
2 Wandsworth 004 Wandsworth
3 Wandsworth 015 Wandsworth
4 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
5 Canterbury 004 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rother

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rother

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

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Rother surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Rother 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 younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Rother is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rother 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

Rother falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rother

The surname Rother has its origins in Germany, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "rot," meaning "red," and may have initially referred to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. Alternatively, it could have been a topographic name describing someone who lived near a reddish or rust-colored landscape feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, where the "Rother" family is mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century. The name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and documents from across the German-speaking regions of Europe.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Johann Rother was a respected politician and merchant in the city of Nuremberg. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the city's affairs for several generations.

During the 16th century, a notable individual named Hans Rother (1492-1552) was a celebrated artist and woodcarver from Swabia, known for his intricate religious sculptures and altarpieces that can still be found in churches throughout southern Germany.

In the 17th century, a scholar and theologian named Johann Friedrich Rother (1625-1691) gained recognition for his extensive writings on Protestant theology and his role in the German Reformation.

Another notable bearer of the name was the 18th-century explorer and naturalist Johann Jakob Rother (1738-1804), who traveled extensively throughout South America and brought back numerous plant and animal specimens for study in Europe.

The surname Rother has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Rotherhithe in London, which was originally settled by German immigrants and derived its name from the German word "Rother" combined with the Old English word "hythe" meaning "landing place."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rother families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rother 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 9 Rothers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 9 3.55x
Surrey 7 5.67x
Cumberland 4 18.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.80x
Anglesey 1 22.27x
Gloucestershire 1 2.01x
Kent 1 1.16x
Sussex 1 2.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 6 Rothers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.14x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 6 27.14x
Eaglesfield 4 20000.00x
Westminster St 4 430.11x
St George In East 3 174.42x
Berkeley 1 357.14x
Chatham 1 42.02x
Chelsea London 1 13.09x
Eastbourne 1 50.76x
Halifax 1 27.10x
Huddersfield 1 27.32x
Islington London 1 4.07x
Penmon 1 5000.00x
Richmond 1 57.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Amy 2
Anna 1
Filisy 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lilian 1
Louise 1
Lydia 1
Mary 1
Mattilde 1
Nora 1
Olive 1
Susanna 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Carl 2
Joseph 2
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Berthold 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Salisbury 1
Saml. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rother households.

FAQ

Rother surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rother surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26 people were recorded with the Rother surname. That placed it at #29,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rother surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016. That gives Rother a modern rank of #28,691.

What does the Rother surname mean?

A locational German surname derived from the name of the river Rother.

What does the Rother map show?

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