Show ContentsRollison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Rollison is from that ancient region of France known as Brittany. This particular name is derived from the old Germanic personal name Hrodlant, which is composed of the Old German elements hrod, meaning fame or victory, and lant, meaning land or territory.

Early Origins of the Rollison family

The surname Rollison was first found in Brittany, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Rollison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rollison research. Another 310 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1268, 1510, 1642, 1678, 1786 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Rollison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rollison Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Rollison is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Rolland, Roland, Rollan, Rolan, Rolend, Rollend, Rollen, Rauland, Raulend, Rolain, Rollain, Raullen, Raullan, Raulan, Rolands, Rollands, Roling and many more.

Early Notables of the Rollison family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rollison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rollison Ranking

In the United States, the name Rollison is the 16,024th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Rollison migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Rollison has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Rollison were

Rollison Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edward Rollison, aged 40, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1912

Australia Rollison migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rollison Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Rollison, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"

Contemporary Notables of the name Rollison (post 1700) +

  • Richard Rollison, American transportation coordinator, known for his work on Spun (2002), Silk Stalkings (1991) and Shallow Ground (2004)
  • David Rollison, American English Professor at College of Marin, Kentfield, California
  • Melissa Rollison (b. 1983), birth name of Melissa Hauschildt, an Australian professional triathlete and former middle distance runner, who specialised in steeplechase, winner of the 2011 and 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship as well as the 2013 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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