Explore the Family Name Rota
The meaning of Rota
1. Italian: from a short form of the personal name Buonarrota, Buonarroto, an omen or well-wishing name meaning ‘good addition’. 2. Italian: from rota ‘wheel’, used as a metonymic occupational name for maker of wheels and the like or perhaps as a nickname for a short, fat person. 3. Italian (northern): habitational name from any of various places called with rota ‘wheel’, in particular Rota d’Imagna in Bergamo and Rota Greca in Cosenza. 4. Spanish: habitational name from a place in the province of Cádiz, so named from Latin rota ‘wheel’. 5. Greek: feminine (and possibly also American shortened) form of Rotas, from the vocabulary word rota ‘course (of a ship)’ (from Italian rotta, French route), hence perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a steersman; or from Albanian rrotë ‘wheel’, hence perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a cart-driver. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Sal, Angelo, Amedio, Antonio, Carmela, Gilda, Natale, Pasquale, Valentino.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rota in the United States?
The surname Rota, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data, saw a slight decrease in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 25,845th and by 2010, it had slipped to 26,795th, marking a change of -3.68%. However, the actual count of people with the surname Rota rose marginally from 894 in 2000 to 908 in 2010, showing an increase of 1.57%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100k also dipped from 0.33 to 0.31, a decrease of -6.06%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,845 | #26,795 | -3.68% |
| Count | 894 | 908 | 1.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.33 | 0.31 | -6.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rota
Decennial U.S. Census data regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname Rota shows a notable shift over the ten-year period from 2000 to 2010. The largest group remained those of White ethnic identity, although their percentage decreased slightly from 92.17% to 87.78%, a change of -4.76%. There was an increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic categories, with their percentages rising from 1.34% to 2.09% (55.97% change) and 5.03% to 7.05% (40.16% change), respectively. The Black category emerged in 2010 at 1.76%, while the Two or more races category seemed to disappear, dropping from 1.01% in 2000 to 0 in 2010. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category stayed constant at 0% in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.17% | 87.78% | -4.76% |
| Hispanic | 5.03% | 7.05% | 40.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.34% | 2.09% | 55.97% |
| Black | 0% | 1.76% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.01% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |