Rook Family History

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Rook Name Meaning

English: nickname from the bird (Old English hroc), most likely given to a person with very dark hair or a dark complexion or to someone with a raucous voice. English: some early examples, such as Robert of ye Rook (London 1318) and Henry del Rook (Staffordshire 1332), point clearly to a local name of some kind. The first of these could be from a house sign, the second may be a variant of Rock 1. German: from a short form of a Germanic personal name formed with hrok, of uncertain origin; perhaps a cognate of 1 or from Middle High German rohen ‘to cry or yell (in battle)’ or Old High German ruoh ‘intent’. Perhaps an altered spelling of German Ruck.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Rock, Brook, Roos, Root, Cook, Book, Hook, Roop, Roof, Crook

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Rook Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Rook name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Rook. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    10%

  • Norway

    4%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    3%

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Rook Family Origin

Where is the Rook family from?

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You can see how Rook families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rook family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rook families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1911 there were 69 Rook families living in Ontario. This was about 59% of all the recorded Rook's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rook families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rook surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Rook

Rook Family Occupations

What did your Rook ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Rook family was Currier. The most common Rook occupation in Canada was Farmer. 48% of Rook's were Farmers. Farmer, Blacksmith and Carpenter were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Rook.

View Census data for Rook | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    48%

  • Blacksmith

    5%

  • Carpenter

    5%

  • Currier

    5%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Rook ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Rook Historical Records

What Rook family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 61,000 census records available for the last name Rook. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rook census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Rook

Passenger List

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Rook. 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 Rook immigration records

Draft Card

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Rook. For the veterans among your Rook ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rook military records

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Rook Life Expectancy

What is the average Rook lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Rook life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Rook in 1940 was 44, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rook

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rook 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.

Famous Rook Family Ancestors

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