The Rolfe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,542 people carried this name — #7,339 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,900 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,492 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rolfe surname

English surname, spelling variant of Rolf.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Rolfe» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Rudolph’.

An early record he cites: Allan Rolfe, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Rolf, Rolfe and Rolph.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 652 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 33 people named Rolfe.

8 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Loir-et-Cher.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 8
Loir-et-Cher 12
Oise 9
Paris 3
Hauts-de-Seine 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Rolfe was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Kent: 24 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 417. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Kent 24
Suffolk 20
Buckinghamshire 18
Norfolk 18
Essex 15
Hertfordshire 15

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Rolfe in American newspapers,
1887–1916.

Newspaper page from The Lakeland Evening Telegram carrying the name Rolfe
The Lakeland Evening Telegram 1916-08-10
Newspaper page from Frostburg Mining Journal carrying the name Rolfe
Frostburg Mining Journal 1887-06-11
Newspaper page from The Lakeland Evening Telegram carrying the name Rolfe
The Lakeland Evening Telegram 1914-12-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 50,092 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Rolfe in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

26,949 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rolfe. The most, 4,252, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 12,340
Victoria 7,366
Queensland 3,311
South Australia 1,563
Western Australia 1,304
Tasmania 541
ACT (Canberra) 449
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rolfe.

Who carried it

People named Rolfe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Rolfe
    John Rolfe 1585–1622 · explorer
  • Pocahontas
    Pocahontas 1596–1617 · writer
  • Pocahontas
    Pocahontas 1596–1617 · writer
  • Mary Ann Rolfe d. 1895
  • Frances Crever d. 1803
  • Mary Maud Rolfe d. 1999

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Rolfe,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States473 records

473 records of the Rolfe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 173
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 72
  • Other U.S. records 228
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Daniel I. Rolfe

    Born 1923 in West Virginia. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Perry Lacarne, Ohio; gardener. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at White Chapel Memorial Gardens, West Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Harriet Rolfe

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; servant. From London, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Harold J. Rolfe

    Born 1930; from Coos County, New Hampshire. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 473 records for Rolfe in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia603 records

603 records of the Rolfe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 336
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 95
  • Other Australian records 172
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Naomi Ruth Rolfe

    Died 1923 in Scottsdale, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1923.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Rolfe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Blackwall, aged 24; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Thomas Rolfe

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles, arriving 1840; ticket of leave 1846.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 603 records for Rolfe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada171 records

171 records of the Rolfe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 140
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 12
  • Other Canadian records 19
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Rolfe

    Came to Ontario in 1876 aboard the Nova Scotian, bound for Dundas, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Ernest Rolfe

    Killed in 1958 at the Springhill No. 2 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Pauline Margaret Rolfe

    Buried in 1995 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 30.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 171 records for Rolfe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom34 records

34 records of the Rolfe name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Susan Rolfe

    Buried in 1827 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 56.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Rolfe

    Will proved in 1937; of Milford Haven.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Rolfe

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 34 records for Rolfe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France16 records

16 records of the Rolfe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paulette Andree Rolfe

    Born 1928 in Josnes (Loir-et-Cher); died 1978 in Angers (Maine-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eugene Marcel Rolfe

    Born 1912 in Chantilly; died 1994 in Creil (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Lucile Odette Rolfe

    Born 1906 in Lorges; died 1986 in Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Rolfe in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Rolfe name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Rolfe

    Died 1933, aged 69; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Richard James Rolfe

    Buried in 1976 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sydney Rolfe

    Died 1916, aged 54; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Rolfe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Rolfe name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Francis Rolfe

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1904 in Perry.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Alice M. Rolfe

    In the population register of Zevenbergen; born 1862.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Rolfe in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Rolfe name in Belgium
  • Belgian population registers 1
  • Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hubertina Rolfe

    In the population register of Brussel; "handschoenmaekster", born 1848 in Brussel.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcel Denderland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Emma Rolfe

    Married in 1875 in Ninove.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcel Denderland (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rolfe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rolfe is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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