Explore the Family Name Rover

The meaning of Rover

1. English: occupational name for someone who constructed or repaired roofs, from an agent derivative of Middle English rof ‘roof’ (Old English hrōf). In the Middle Ages roofs might be thatched with reeds or straw, or covered with tiles, slates, or wooden shingles. 2. North German (Röver): see Roever.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rover in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rover saw a slight uptick between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 50,055 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it had climbed to 49,546, marking a change of 1.02%. Additionally, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 393 to 424 over the same period, showing a growth rate of 7.89%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people slightly decreased from 0.15 to 0.14, indicating a drop of 6.67%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#50,055	#49,546	1.02%
Count	393	424	7.89%
Proportion per 100k	0.15	0.14	-6.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rover

Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the Rover surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts. The percentage of individuals identifying as White with the surname Rover dropped from 70.99% in 2000 to 61.79% in 2010, a decrease of 12.96%. Conversely, there were significant increases in those identifying as Black and Hispanic, with respective rises of 25.86% and 25.84%. Notably, in 2010, a small proportion (1.65%) identified as belonging to two or more races, a category not represented in 2000's data. No individuals with the surname Rover identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census years.

	2000	2010	Change
White	70.99%	61.79%	-12.96%
Black	24.17%	30.42%	25.86%
Hispanic	3.56%	4.48%	25.84%
Two or More Races	0%	1.65%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%