ROFFE

Roffe is a surname of predominantly English origin, with roots that reach back to the Old Norse personal name Hróðólfr, meaning “fame‑wolf.” The name migrated into the British Isles during the Viking Age, and over centuries it was adopted as a patronymic identifier for the descendants of an individual named Roffe or Hróðólfr.

The etymological components of the name derive from the Old English word hroth, meaning fame or renown, and the word wulf, meaning wolf. Formed as a compound, the personal name Hrothwulf or its Norse counterpart Hróðólfr would have signified a person of great renown, comparable in stature to a wolf—a creature that contemporary societies associated with strength and prowess on the battlefield.

Historical records show that the surname appears under a wide array of spellings: Rolf, Ruff, Ruffell in England; Rudolf, Rotlauf in Germany; Rohlf in Switzerland; Ridulfo, Firidolfi in Italy; and Roelof in the Netherlands. Variants such as Roff, Roffey, Ruffs, Rowe, Rofe, and many others are attestations of the same root, demonstrating the fluidity of orthography before standardised spelling. These variants also appear in different linguistic contexts – for instance, Ruffo in Italian or Rufu in German – evidencing the name’s dispersion across Europe.

In medieval charters and rolls the surname survives in example entries such as Johan Rodolfi of Hamburg in 1252, Robert Rolf of Battle in Sussex in 1272, Jakob Rufi, a priest in Zürich in 1300, and Johan Rudolf of Andelshoven in 1332. In English ecclesiastical registers the marriage of John Roffe and Elizabeth Blythe at St. Stephen’s in Coleman Street is recorded on 3 November 1560, underscoring the name’s long-standing presence in London society.

Some scholars suggest that Roffe may also have a locational origin, derived from the Old English word rof meaning rough or hilly ground. Under this theory, the surname could have been associated with a person who dwelt near a rough stretch of terrain, a hypothesis supported by the interpretation of somewhat similar place‑name elements in the medieval period. Whether patronymic or topographic, the name’s use as a family identifier became necessary after the introduction of personal taxation, and it has endured through subsequent generations.

In contemporary times the name is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States. Within the UK it is believed to have originated in Yorkshire and the surrounding counties of Durham and Northumberland, but it now occurs nationwide. In Israel the surname was adopted by families that immigrated from Eastern Europe, many of whom converted the name into a Hebrew spelling. In the United States, the Roffe surname arrived with waves of European immigrants from the late nineteenth century, predominately in the North Eastern states where early settlements were established.

Among modern bearers of the name is Diann Roffe, an American alpine ski racer known for her achievements in the sport during the late twentieth century. Although her career occurs in a different societal sphere from the medieval origins of the name, her prominence reflects the continued life of the surname in contemporary culture.

Thus, the surname Roffe exemplifies the linguistic and cultural interconnections of the British Isles with the wider world, blending Norse heritage with Old English tradition and persisting over a millennium of historical change.

Typical given names associated with the Roffe surname

Male

• Andrew
• Clive
• David
• John
• Jonathan
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Philip
• Robert
• Stephen
• Steven
• Thomas
• Vincent

Female

• Danielle
• Emma
• Jacqueline
• Joan
• Karen
• Lynda
• Margaret
• Natasha
• Nicola
• Patricia
• Rachel
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Roffe in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

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