Rockwood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Rockwood surname lived in a wooded area with distinct rocky terrain. Rockwood is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Rockwood family

The surname Rockwood was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Rockwood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rockwood research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1600, 1606, 1664 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Rockwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rockwood Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Rockwood are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Rockwood include: Rockwood, Rookwood and others.

Early Notables of the Rockwood family

Distinguished members of the family include Ambrose Rookwood or Rokewood (c. 1578-1606), English conspirator, the eldest son of Robert Rookwood (d. 1600), of Stanningfield, Suffolk. The family had been possessed of the manor of Stanningfield since the time of Edward I, and its members had frequently represented Suffolk in parliament; it remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and many of its members, including Ambrose's parents, suffered fines and imprisonment for their faith. His son, Ambrose Rookwood (1664-1696), entered the army, in which...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rockwood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rockwood Ranking

In the United States, the name Rockwood is the 9,640^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Rockwood migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Rockwood or a variant listed above:

Rockwood Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anthony Rockwood who settled in Virginia in 1635
Anth Rockwood, who landed in Virginia in 1635 2
John Rockwood, who landed in Maryland in 1642 2
Thomas Rockwood, who arrived in Maryland in 1642 2
Nicholas Rockwood, who arrived in New England in 1651 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rockwood Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C. Rockwood, who settled in New Orleans in 1823
C H Rockwood, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
H Rockwood, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Rockwood migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rockwood Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Rockwood, who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1772 3

Rockwood Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Rockwood, who settled in Change Islands, Newfoundland in 1821 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Rockwood (post 1700) +

Wendell D. Rockwood, American politician, Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1916-18 4
Lawrence P. Rockwood, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California 53rd District, 2004 4
H. S. Rockwood, American politician, Mayor of Lorain, Ohio, 1875-76 4
Frank H. Rockwood, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Franklin, 1939-40 4
Frank A. Rockwood, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Franklin, 1909-10 4
Florence J. Rockwood, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Franklin; Elected 1940 4
Wendell D. Rockwood, American politician, member of the Citizen's Municipal Party, mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1916 to 1918)
Albert Perry Rockwood (1805-1879), Mormon leader and member of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Rockwood Hoar (1855-1906), member of the United States House of Representatives

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html