Rolf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The surname Rolf 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 Rolf, 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 Rolf family

The surname Rolf 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 Rolf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rolf 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 Rolf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rolf 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 Rolf family

Notables bearing the name Rolf 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 Rolf Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rolf Ranking

In the United States, the name Rolf is the 9,291^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Rolf migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rolf Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Rolf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1775 3
James Rolf, who arrived in Virginia in 1776 3

Rolf Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anton Rolf, who landed in America in 1834 3
Gerh Heinr Rolf, who arrived in America in 1836 3
Bern Heinr Rolf, aged 44, who arrived in America in 1843 3
Josephine Rolf, who arrived in America in 1843 3
M Christ Rolf, who landed in America in 1844 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rolf migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rolf Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Rolf, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballarat" in 1867

Contemporary Notables of the name Rolf (post 1700) +

Ida P. Rolf (1896-1979), American biochemist and founder of Rolfing, a holistic health discipline
Tom Rolf (1931-2014), Swedish-born American film editor, son of Ernst Rolf
Ernst Ragnar Rolf (1931-2014), better known as Tom Rolf, was a Swedish-born American film editor
Dr Ida Pauline Rolf (1896-1979), American biochemist and the creator of Structural Integration (Rolfing)
Ernst Rolf (1891-1932), Swedish actor and singer
Ernst Rolf (1891-1932), professionally born as Ernst Ragnar Johansson a Swedish actor, singer and composer and musical revue artist
Harold Rolf Bamberg (b. 1923), British army Commander, who received the Order of the British Empire, and was later chairman of Bamberg Group Ltd.(1968)
Rolf Zick (1921-2024), German journalist
Rolf Wouters (b. 1963), Dutch television presenter
Rolf Caroli (1933-2007), East German amateur light-middleweight boxer who won bronze medals at the European championships in 1955, 1957 and 1959

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)
"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)