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| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In the United States, the name Rockwood is the 9,640th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
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:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: