Roll History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The history of the German surname Roll begins in the former royal duchy of Swabia, now the modern region of Baden-Wurrtemburg. There are two possible origins for the name. Firstly, Roll may have originated as a diminutive of the Germanic personal name Hruodilo or Rudelin; in this case, the surname would be used to mean "son of Roll." Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Middle High German word "rolle," meaning "scroll" or "list."

Early Origins of the Roll family

The surname Roll was first found in the duchy of Swabia, where there are records of the name dating back as far as 1321, when Konrad Rölin was living near Strassburg. The young Roll family was prominent during these early times, playing an important role in the development of Swabian society.

Early History of the Roll family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roll research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1398, 1635, 1705, 1746, 1782 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Roll History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roll Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roll, Rholl, Rael, Rhaell, Roil, Rhael and many more.

Early Notables of the Roll family

Notables with the surname Roll during this period were

Franz Roll (1635-1705), a Jesuit, and Antonius Rhael (Rholl), who was granted a coat of arms in 1746, as well as Kornelius Gottlieb Roll (1782-1834), a well-known surgeon from Schleswig-Holstein

Roll Ranking

In the United States, the name Roll is the 6,019^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Roll migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roll Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christoph Roll, who landed in New Jersey in 1709 2
Jorg Willem Roll, who landed in New York in 1709 2
Jacob Roll, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Johannes Roll, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
John Roll, aged 22, who arrived in Maryland in 1774 2

Roll Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jean Louis Roll, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1830 2
Heinrich Roll, aged 34, who landed in Missouri in 1840 2
Andrew Roll, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 2
Anna Maria Roll, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
Catharina Roll, aged 46, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Roll (post 1700) +

Gernot Roll (1939-2020), German cinematographer born in Dresden
Sir Eric Roll (b. 1907), Lord Roll of Ipsden, Director of the Bank of England, Professor of Economics and Commerce at University College, Hull
Sir James Roll (d. 1998), the only Baronet priest in England and noted philanthropist
Michael Roll, British concert pianist
Werner Roll (b. 1929), commercial artist
Henriette Sophia Charlotte Roll (b. 1890), well-known pianist
Nini Roll Anker (1873-1942), Norwegian novelist and playwright

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)