Rolleston Family History

in the Midlands from Rolleston (Leics Notts Staffs) and perhaps Rowston (Lincs); in ER Yorks from Rolston (or Rowlston) in Mappleton (ER Yorks); and in SW England from Rollestone in Upton Pyne or Rolstone Barton in Morchard Bishop (both in Devon) or Rollestone (Wilts) and perhaps Rowlestone (Herefs) or Rolstone in Banwell (Somerset). The place-names have various etymological origins, though most are named with the Middle English personal name Rolf or the Old Scandinavian personal name Hrólfr + Middle English toun ‘town, settlement’ Old English tūn ‘farmstead, estate’.

It is possible that some of the following bearers belong with (2), particularly the Yorks examples. Variant of Rollinson reduced to Rolleson and altered by the addition of an intrusive -t- as though it were a locative name in -ston.

Compare Thomas Rolleson' 1377 in Poll Tax (Kingston upon Hull, ER Yorks) and Christopher Rollston 1723, Henry Rowlstone 1763 in IGI (Kingston upon Hull, ER Yorks).