Rofe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Rofe is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Rofe is a name that comes from the Norman given name Rudolph.

Early Origins of the Rofe family

The surname Rofe was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times, soon after the Norman Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Rofe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rofe research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1297, 1332, 1510, 1521 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Rofe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rofe Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rofe family name include Roffe, Rolfe, Rolph, Roalph, Roff, Ruff, Rouf and others.

Early Notables of the Rofe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Rough (died 1557), Scottish Protestant martyr, is stated to have been born in 1510, but as he was incorporated in St. Leonard's College in the university of St. Andrews in 1521. He was a close friend of John Knox and was soon summoned before Winram, the vicar-general of St. Andrews. Rough managed...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rofe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rofe migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Rofe family to immigrate North America:

Harry Rofe, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "MS Santa Barbara" 1

Rofe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Barbary Rofe, aged 20, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Hopewell" 2

Rofe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Rofe, aged 22, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Eliza" in 1835 1
Sarah Rofe, aged 19, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Mediator" in 1838 1
John Rofe, aged 25, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Mediator" in 1838 1
Ellen Rofe, aged 55, settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Creole" in 1847 1
Benjamin Rofe, aged 20, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Margaret Evan" in 1847 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rofe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Isaac Rofe, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Saint Paul" in 1904 1
Ilia Rofe, aged 5 months, Turkish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ultonia" in 1913 1
Abraham Rofe, aged 31, Turkish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ultonia" in 1913 1
Sultaua Rofe, aged 22, Turkish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ultonia" in 1913 1
Yomton Rofe, aged 24, Turkish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ultonia" in 1913 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rofe migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3

Rofe Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Rofe, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Falcon" arriving in Barbados in 1636 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Rofe (post 1700) +

Dennis Rofe (b. 1950), English former footballer from Epping, Essex, who played from 1968 to 1984
Esther Rofe (1904-2000), Australian musician and composer
Paul Cameron Rofe (b. 1981), Australian cricketer who played for South Australia and Northamptonshire
Paul Rofe (1948-2013), Australian barrister, 1st Director of Public Prosecutions (South Australia) (1992-2004)
Stan Rofe (1933-2003), Australian DJ and music news reporter
Ronald Ernest Arthur "Ron" Rofe (1914-2003), Australian politician, Member for Nepean (1973-1978)

Citations +

Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm