Rolfs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The surname Rolfs is derived from the personal name Rodolf which is in turn, developed from the Germanic personal name Hrodulf, which consists of the two elements "hrod" and "ulf". The initial element "hrod" derives from the Gothic "hrotheigs" meaning "victorious" or the Old High German "hrod" meaning "fame, price, reward". The second element "ulf" derives from the Old High German "wolf" meaning "wolf".

The personal name Hrodulf and its modern form of Rolfs, is actually the Low German form of Rudolf and was popular since the Middle Ages, due to spread of admiration to the Emperor Rudolf von Habsburg in the thirteenth century.

Early Origins of the Rolfs family

The surname Rolfs was first found in Hamburg where the Rolf and Rahlf variants were typically found. The Rohlf(s) variant was typically found in the Lower Germany. 1

All variants ultimately trace their name origin to the Christian name Rudolph, and its pet-form Rolf, which are of Old Germanic origin and can be translated literally as 'Famous Wolf'. Saint Rodulf (died 866), was the Archbishop of Bourges from 840 until his death and Rudolph of France (c. 890-936), was the King of France from 923 until his death in 936. In Latin documents, his name is typically seen as Rodulfus. Rudolf I (1218-1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg and reigned from 1273 until his death in 1291. Upon his father's death, he inherited large estates around the ancestral seat of Habsburg Castle in the Aargau region of present-day Switzerland as well as in Alsace.

Early History of the Rolfs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rolfs research. Another 42 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1025, 1057, 1079, 1080, 1232, 1270, 1282, 1283, 1290, 1333, 1390, 1406 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Rolfs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rolfs Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rolf, Rolfs, Rolfness, Rolfsen, Roleff, Roloff, Rohlf, Rohlfs, Rahlf and many more.

Early Notables of the Rolfs family

Notables bearing the name Rolfs of this period include Count Rudolph (or Rudolf) of Ponthieu (died 866), the son of Welf (also Hwelf or Welf I) by Hedwig of Bavaria. Rudolph II (c. 880- 937), was a member of the Elder House of Welf and was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. Rudolf of Rheinfelden...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rolfs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rolfs migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rolfs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Conrad Rolfs, who arrived in America in 1777-1783 2

Rolfs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C. Rolfs, aged 38, settler from Denmark who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Howard" in 1835 3
Elis Rolfs, who landed in America in 1837 2
H. Rolfs, aged 44, settler from Brunswick who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Emigrant" in 1846 3
Josephine Rolfs, aged 55, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Magdalena" in 1847 3
Wilhelmine Rolfs, aged 23, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Magdalena" in 1847 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rolfs (post 1700) +

Peter Henry Rolfs (1865-1944), American agronomist who directed the Florida Agriculture Experiment Station from 1905 to 1920, and from 1915 to 1920 served as the Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Florida
Claus E. Rolfs (b. 1941), German experimental physicist, known for his laboratory research related to nuclear astrophysics

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result