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Rolfe Family History

Rolfe Surname Meaning

English: of Norman origin from the Middle English and Anglo-Norman French personal name Rolf Roulf Rou Roul Rouf Rof. Its usual derivation is from Old Norse Hrólfr Rolf from ancient Germanic hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + wulf ‘wolf’ and occasionally from ancient Germanic Rodulf of the same origin as Hrólfr (earlier Hróthúlfr) but in a West Frankish form which the Scandinavian Normans occasionally used.

The name was also common in Normandy where it became Old French Roul Rou, often Latinized as Rollo. See Ralph and compare Rowe, Dow, and Rowson.

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


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Where is the Rolfe family from?

You can see how Rolfe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rolfe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rolfe families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 41 Rolfe families living in Ontario. This was about 30% of all the recorded Rolfe's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rolfe families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rolfe 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 Rolfe ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Rolfe. 29% of Rolfe men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Rolfe | 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
    29%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Cultivateur
    7%

What Rolfe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 124,000 census records available for the last name Rolfe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rolfe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rolfe

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Rolfe. 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.

View all Rolfe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Rolfe. For the veterans among your Rolfe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rolfe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rolfe family history

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What is the average Rolfe lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Rolfe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Rolfe in 1945 was 20, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rolfe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rolfe ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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