ROWLES
The surname Rowles finds its roots in the British Isles, with an origin that lies in both Old English and Old Norse heritage. It is a patronymic name that evolved from the medieval personal name Rolf or Rolph, itself a form of the Old Norse name Hrolfr.
In Old Norse, Hrolfr is a compound of hrod, meaning ‘renowned’ or ‘fame’, and wulf, meaning ‘wolf’. Consequently, the meaning conveyed by the surname is ‘famous wolf’, a symbol traditionally associated with strength and tenacity. The metaphorical use of a wolf might have denoted an ancestor noted for boldness or resilience.
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, Scandinavian names such as Rollo – a Latinised form of the Norman personal name Roul – entered the English vocabulary. This facilitated the adoption of the name in England via two channels: the popularity of the name among Normans, and the settlement of Danes and Norwegians on the continent. The surname therefore carries a dual Germanic heritage, rooted in the broader history of Anglo‑Norman migration.
Archaeological and documentary evidence demonstrates that the name was in use by the late thirteenth century. A record dated to 1279 in The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire mentions an individual named Robert Role, while a similar entry in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire cites Matilda Rolles. These early references show that the name had attained a recognisable form in the English clerical and legal records by the close of the fourteenth century.
Earlier documentation is found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from the reign of King Henry I (1100‑1135). A contemporaneous entry lists William Chieneive in 1130; historical scholars suggest this listing reflects the earliest survival of a precursor to the modern spelling, indicating the name’s presence in official tithe and tax records at that time.
Subsequent parish registers provide further evidence of the name’s proliferation. For instance, in 1541 John Rowles married Agnet Fetherstone at St. Stephen's, London, and in 1575 Mary, daughter of James Rowles, was christened at St. Andrew's, Holborn. In the early seventeenth century, Henrie Rowles is recorded as an emigrant who sailed aboard the Amitie bound for Barbados on 13 October 1635, illustrating the name’s overseas dispersion during the early colonial period.
The surname has displayed a wide array of orthographic variants. Historical spellings include Row, Rowes, Rowe, Rolls, Rolfe, Roles, Rowlese, Roulse, Rule and additional forms such as Rulles, Ryles, and Rell. These variations reflect both regional dialectical influences and the lack of spelling standardisation until the nineteenth century.
In contemporary England the surname remains relatively uncommon, having ranked as the 365th most frequent name in 2015. Its distribution is predominantly concentrated within the United Kingdom, especially in England, with a sparse presence in the United States, Australia, Canada, and across parts of continental Europe. Modern bearers of the name may encounter differing spellings, yet most can trace their ancestry back to the medieval and post‑Conquest period in Britain, confirming the enduring legacy of the original Old Norse root.
Typical given names associated with the Rowles surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Paul
- Peter
Female
- Angela
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Hilary
- Jane
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sally
- Samantha
- Sarah
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 Rowles in...
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There are approximately 2,657 people named Rowles in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,358th most common surname in Britain. Around 41 in a million people in Britain are named Rowles.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Rowles
- Lauren Rowles - Sports person
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.