Explore the Family Name Rockefeller
The meaning of Rockefeller
Americanized form of German Rockenfeller: habitational name for someone from the village of Rockenfeld near Neuwied, Rhineland, named in Middle High German with rocke ‘rye’ (Old High German rocko) + feld ‘open country’. Compare Rockafellow. History: The Rockefellers trace their origin to Johann Peter Rockenfeller, who emigrated to North America in 1723. His descendant, the millionaire industrialist John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), founder of Standard Oil, was born in Richford, NY; his father was a commodities dealer and farm owner.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rockefeller in the United States?
The surname Rockefeller has seen some changes in its popularity according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it held a rank of 20111, but this ranking dropped to 20449 in 2010, reflecting a decrease of 1.68%. However, the actual count of people with the Rockefeller surname increased from 1233 in 2000 to 1299 in 2010, an increase of 5.35%. Despite this increase, the proportion of Rockefellers per 100k people slightly decreased by 4.35%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,111 | #20,449 | -1.68% |
| Count | 1,233 | 1,299 | 5.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.46 | 0.44 | -4.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rockefeller
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Rockefeller surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some significant shifts. The majority of individuals with this surname identify as White, although this percentage dropped marginally from 96.43% in 2000 to 94.77% in 2010. Those identifying as Black saw an almost doubling, rising from 0.97% in 2000 to 1.92% in 2010. People with this surname who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw a considerable increase from 0.57% in 2000 to 0.92% in 2010. There was also an increase in those identifying as two or more races, with an increase from 1.05% in 2000 to 1.46% in 2010. However, the count for those identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native were suppressed in both years for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.43% | 94.77% | -1.72% |
| Black | 0.97% | 1.92% | 97.94% |
| Two or More Races | 1.05% | 1.46% | 39.05% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.57% | 0.92% | 61.4% |
| Hispanic | 0.97% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |