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Rolston Family History

Rolston Name Meaning

English (Leicestershire):: habitational name either from Rolleston (Leicestershire Nottinghamshire Staffordshire) and perhaps Rowston (Lincolnshire) Rolston (or Rowlston) in Mappleton (East Yorkshire) or from Rollestone in Upton Pyne or Rolstone Barton in Morchard Bishop (both in Devon) or Rollestone (Wiltshire) and perhaps Rowlestone (Herefordshire) or Rolstone in Banwell (Somerset). The placenames have various etymological origins though most are named with the Middle English personal name Rolf or the Old Norse personal name Hrólfr + Middle English toun ‘town settlement’ Old English tūn ‘farmstead estate’. See Rolfe . variant of Rollison shortened to Rolleson and altered by the addition of an intrusive -t- as though it were a habitational name in -ston.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Royston, Colston, Holston, Elston, Alston, Roston, Tolton, Houston

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Where is the Rolston family from?

You can see how Rolston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rolston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rolston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 174 Rolston families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Rolston's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rolston families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rolston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Rolston ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rolston. 47% of Rolston men worked as a Farmer and 35% of Rolston women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rolston were Laborer and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Rolston | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    47%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    35%
  • Housewife
    21%
  • Saleswoman
    14%
  • Stenographer
    11%
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What Rolston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Rolston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rolston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rolston

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Rolston. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Rolston. For the veterans among your Rolston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rolston lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Rolston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Rolston in 1961 was 38, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rolston

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