The Rooks surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,883 people carried this name — #5,086 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 6,625 in 2000.

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In print

Rooks in American newspapers,
1919–1922.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Rooks
Daily Kennebec Journal 1922-10-21
Newspaper page from Pullman Herald carrying the name Rooks
Pullman Herald 1919-10-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Rooks in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

4,015 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rooks. The most, 637, date from the 1910s. Queensland 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 Tasmania, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 1,400
Victoria 1,247
New South Wales 599
Tasmania 436
South Australia 155
Western Australia 125
ACT (Canberra) 42
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Rooks,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Albert H. Rooks
    Albert H. Rooks 1891–1942 · military officer
  • Gerhard Rooks
    Gerhard Rooks 1901–1975 · scientist
  • Gerhard Rooks
    Gerhard Rooks 1901–1975 · scientist
  • George Rooks 1863–1935 · baseball player
  • Lowell W. Rooks 1893–1973 · military personnel
  • Ivar Rooks 1933–2009 · chemical engineer

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 Rooks,
in the records of 7 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 States426 records

426 records of the Rooks name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 227
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 91
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 37
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 37
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 14
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 14
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles E. Rooks

    Born 1919 in Georgia. Enlisted 1944 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; auto mechanic from Wilkes County. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Jackson City Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Lee Rooks

    Born 1931; from Trumbull County, Ohio. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; died of wounds 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Rooks

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 32; sailor. From Maryport, England; bound for Chicago.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 426 records for Rooks in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (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) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands1,193 records

1,193 records of the Rooks name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 731
  • Dutch population registers 388
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 74
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Hendrik Rooks

    Married in 1814 in Eibergen; farmer. Died 1855 in Mallem, aged 63.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Petronella Rooks

    Married in 1856 in Meerssen; seamstress, born 1818 in Meerssen. Died 1891 in Meerssen, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Pieter Rooks

    In the population register of Eindhoven; military policeman, born in Breda.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,193 records for Rooks in the Netherlands.

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

Australia139 records

139 records of the Rooks name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 77
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 46
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 15
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Rooks

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Grand Trianon, aged 6; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry Rooks

    Former coachbuilder of Camberwell, Victoria; died 1930.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William James Rooks

    Died 1972; buried at Beaudesert, Queensland.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 139 records for Rooks 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany9 records

9 records of the Rooks name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Rudolf Rooks

    From Roggenstorf, Grevesmühlen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 25 October 1916 (Fusilier Regiment No. 90).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gustav Rooks

    From Büssau, Lübeck. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 25 March 1915.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Rooks in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Rooks name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frank Rooks

    Died 1916, aged 35; buried at Linwood 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 Francis James William Rooks

    Died 1983, aged 70; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Rooks in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Rooks name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Rooks

    Died 1954; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Lester George Rooks

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Rooks name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Rooks

    Durham Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Rooks

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rooks.

When the index is not enough

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A volume says what happened to it.

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