NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowland

Derived from a place name meaning "rough land" or "rolling land" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 8,511 people recorded with the Rowland surname, ranking it #498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,374, ranked #569, down from #498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Wrexham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Wrexham and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowland is 11,791 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.6%.

1881 census count

8,511

Ranked #498

Modern count

11,374

2016, ranked #569

Peak year

1999

11,791 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowland had 8,511 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,374 in 2016, ranked #569.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,707 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rowland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rowland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rowland 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 7,592 #370
1861 historical 7,099 #397
1881 historical 8,511 #498
1891 historical 9,676 #458
1901 historical 9,889 #528
1911 historical 11,707 #420
1997 modern 11,345 #535
1998 modern 11,689 #541
1999 modern 11,791 #544
2000 modern 11,684 #546
2001 modern 11,366 #547
2002 modern 11,609 #547
2003 modern 11,250 #554
2004 modern 11,221 #554
2005 modern 11,045 #557
2006 modern 11,061 #556
2007 modern 11,151 #556
2008 modern 11,181 #560
2009 modern 11,398 #566
2010 modern 11,721 #563
2011 modern 11,575 #562
2012 modern 11,337 #563
2013 modern 11,525 #562
2014 modern 11,597 #564
2015 modern 11,480 #566
2016 modern 11,374 #569

Geography

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Where Rowlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Wrexham and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Wrexham, Cheshire West and Chester and East Devon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Wrexham Denbighshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
3 Cheshire West and Chester 002 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Cheshire West and Chester 045 Cheshire West and Chester
5 East Devon 008 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rowland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rowland

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rowland is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Rowland is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rowland

The surname Rowland has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name Rollant, which itself comes from the Germanic name Rodland or Rowland, meaning "famous land" or "renowned land." The name was brought to England by the Normans after their conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rowland surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Entries in the Domesday Book mention individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in the country during that period.

In the 13th century, the name Rowland was found in various records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the surname in counties such as Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. The surname also appeared in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279, a record of landowners and tenants in England.

During the 14th century, the name Rowland was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Sir Hugh Rowland, a knight who fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 during the Hundred Years' War. Another was John Rowland, a member of the English Parliament who represented Shropshire in 1377.

In the 15th century, the surname Rowland was found in various locations across England, including in the villages of Rowland's Castle in Hampshire and Rowland's Green in Worcestershire, which may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Rowland throughout history include:

1. John Rowland (c. 1470-1543), an English clergyman and academic who served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. 2. David Rowland (c. 1550-1644), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Welsh language. 3. William Rowland (1617-1668), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Ipswich during the English Civil War. 4. Henry Augustus Rowland (1848-1901), an American physicist and the first president of the American Physical Society. 5. Walter Rowland (1892-1957), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.

The surname Rowland has endured throughout the centuries and can be found in various parts of the world, reflecting the migrations and settlements of individuals bearing this name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rowland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowland 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. Lancashire leads with 949 Rowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.96x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 949 0.96x
Middlesex 678 0.82x
Surrey 600 1.48x
Yorkshire 539 0.66x
Cheshire 538 2.94x
Devon 476 2.75x
Derbyshire 392 3.02x
Essex 357 2.18x
Glamorgan 285 1.97x
Gloucestershire 257 1.58x
Kent 242 0.85x
Sussex 242 1.73x
Durham 228 0.92x
Nottinghamshire 198 1.77x
Denbighshire 184 5.87x
Staffordshire 181 0.65x
Somerset 172 1.29x
Hampshire 140 0.82x
Monmouthshire 137 2.28x
Anglesey 127 8.63x
Suffolk 99 0.98x
Caernarfonshire 93 2.77x
Norfolk 93 0.73x
Oxfordshire 89 1.74x
Northumberland 82 0.66x
Pembrokeshire 82 3.11x
Cornwall 80 0.85x
Lincolnshire 74 0.56x
Berkshire 71 1.14x
Dorset 71 1.30x
Warwickshire 65 0.31x
Worcestershire 65 0.60x
Shropshire 61 0.85x
Wiltshire 61 0.83x
Cardiganshire 53 2.62x
Carmarthenshire 42 1.20x
Merionethshire 42 2.76x
Montgomeryshire 39 2.05x
Flintshire 35 1.57x
Leicestershire 33 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 29 0.58x
Lanarkshire 24 0.09x
Northamptonshire 24 0.31x
Midlothian 20 0.18x
Channel Islands 19 0.77x
Bedfordshire 15 0.35x
Brecknockshire 15 0.90x
Orkney 15 1.64x
Cambridgeshire 14 0.27x
Hertfordshire 13 0.23x
Herefordshire 11 0.32x
West Lothian 11 0.88x
Radnorshire 8 1.19x
Stirlingshire 7 0.23x
Ayrshire 6 0.10x
Cumberland 6 0.08x
Royal Navy 5 0.51x
Rutland 5 0.82x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.18x
Renfrewshire 3 0.05x
Westmorland 3 0.16x
Berwickshire 2 0.20x
Inverness-shire 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.03x

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 97 Rowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 97 1.34x
Sheffield 69 2.63x
Toxteth Park 64 1.92x
St Pancras London 63 0.94x
West Ham 60 1.66x
Newington 59 1.92x
Camberwell 57 1.07x
Manchester 56 1.26x
Islington London 53 0.66x
Croydon 51 2.27x
Warrington 51 4.37x
Wrexham Regis 51 21.90x
Brighton 50 1.77x
Kensington London 47 1.02x
Youlgreave 47 125.00x
Horsham 45 16.55x
Amlwch 41 29.60x
Bury 41 3.64x
St Marylebone London 41 0.92x
Mile End Old Town 40 3.05x
Hackney London 39 0.84x
Paddington London 39 1.28x
Eglwysilan 38 15.15x
Harwich St Nicholas 38 30.02x
Liverpool 38 0.64x
Deptford St Paul 37 1.69x
Dovercourt 37 64.19x
Greasley 37 14.65x
Everton 36 1.15x
Salford 35 1.21x
Chorlton On Medlock 34 2.17x
Nottingham St Mary 34 1.17x
Chelsea London 33 1.32x
Cheltenham 32 2.55x
Great Coggeshall 32 37.54x
Honiton 32 33.46x
Runcorn 32 7.57x
Stoke Upon Trent 32 1.08x
Broughton In Salford 31 3.44x
Southwark St George Martyr 31 1.86x
Swindon 31 5.44x
Aston 30 0.52x
Bakewell 29 40.78x
Bermondsey 29 1.17x
Cuckfield 29 20.51x
Gorton 29 3.13x
Hulme 29 1.41x
Upottery 29 139.76x
Great Yarmouth 28 2.65x
Ashburton 27 32.68x
Ashton Under Lyne 27 1.25x
Greenwich 27 2.04x
Stockton On Tees 27 2.27x
Berwick Upon Tweed 26 9.93x
Birkenhead 26 1.78x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 26 1.70x
Dukinfield 26 3.07x
Moss Side 26 5.01x
Ruabon 26 6.03x
St Woollos 26 3.88x
Stroud 26 8.20x
Ystradyfodwg 26 2.05x
Langfield 25 17.37x
Sturminster 25 47.31x
Wrexham Abbot 25 31.71x
Culmstock 24 97.96x
West Derby 24 0.83x
Chester St John Baptist 23 6.98x
Easton In Gordano 23 42.75x
Leeds 23 0.50x
Lewisham 23 1.52x
Merthyr Tydfil 23 1.66x
Ramsey 23 106.78x
Richmond 23 4.06x
Ardwick 22 2.48x
Burton Upon Trent 22 3.36x
Tiverton 22 7.39x
Church Gresley 21 10.15x
Llandaff 21 4.37x
Stokesley 21 40.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 587
Elizabeth 351
Sarah 279
Ann 173
Jane 163
Eliza 131
Annie 126
Margaret 123
Emma 119
Alice 110
Hannah 106
Ellen 104
Martha 76
Emily 72
Harriet 61
Fanny 54
Edith 52
Catherine 50
Charlotte 47
Louisa 44
Anne 43
Caroline 42
Ada 38
Maria 36
Florence 35
Kate 33
Lucy 31
Clara 30
Agnes 28
Frances 27
Elizth. 22
Julia 21
Susan 21
Eleanor 20
Gertrude 20
Jessie 20
Maud 19
Rebecca 19
Minnie 18
Ruth 18
Amelia 17
Harriett 17
Isabella 17
Matilda 17
Amy 16
Esther 15
Rose 15
Susannah 15
Rachel 14
Lydia 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 516
John 515
Thomas 296
George 259
James 214
Henry 161
Edward 158
Charles 157
Joseph 150
Robert 125
Samuel 94
Richard 93
Arthur 84
Alfred 75
David 71
Frederick 63
Albert 57
Walter 56
Herbert 38
Edwin 35
Harry 35
Frank 34
Ernest 29
Daniel 28
Wm. 26
Owen 22
Thos. 22
Francis 20
Peter 18
Benjamin 17
Evan 16
Sidney 16
Hugh 15
Chas. 14
Rowland 14
Stephen 14
Lewis 13
Fred 12
Fredk. 12
Ellis 10
Mark 10
Percy 10
Eli 9
Geo. 9
Tom 9
Isaac 8
Edwd. 7
Fredrick 7
Jacob 7
Michael 6

FAQ

Rowland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,511 people were recorded with the Rowland surname. That placed it at #498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,374 in 2016. That gives Rowland a modern rank of #569.

What does the Rowland surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "rough land" or "rolling land" in Old English.

What does the Rowland map show?

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