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Roth History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Roth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Israel

Etymology of Roth

What does the name Roth mean?

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Roth family. Nickname surnames, such as Roth, were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The family name Roth is a name for a person associated with the color red. The name comes from the Old German word "rot," meaning "red," and could have indicated that its bearer had red hair or a red beard, lived in a red house, or often dressed in red clothes.

Early Origins of the Roth family

The surname Roth was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to have made a great contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of modern Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, with each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention the brothers Jeckel and Tilke Rote of Breslau in 1350, and Merklin der Rotter of Esslingen in 1307. Literally the name meant "red-haired" or "red-bearded," thus the oldest variation was possibly "Rothbart."

Early History of the Roth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roth research. Another 274 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1245, 1288, 1300, 1360, 1434, 1552, 1620, 1653, 1668, 1700 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Roth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roth Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Roth include Rothe, Rote, Rot, Roth (southern Germany), Roter, Rother (Silesia), Rothe, Rothbart and many more.

Early Notables of the Roth family

Prominent among members of the name Roth in this period include

Johannes Rothe (1360-1434), a Thuringian priest who wrote instructional works on chivalry and heraldry and a history of Thuringia
Heinrich Roth (1620-1668), also known as Henricus Rodius or Henrique Roa, a missionary and pioneering Sanskrit scholar

Roth World Ranking

In the United States, the name Roth is the 656^th most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Roth is ranked the 852^nd most popular surname with an estimated 6,290 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name Roth is the 691^st popular surname with an estimated 6,974 people with that name. 3

Roth migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Roth surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Roth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gunnar Olufson Roth, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1649 4

Roth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Engelbert Roth, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
Johann Roth, who sailed to Carolina and/or Pennsylvania in 1709
David Roth, who sailed to Pennsylvania in 1720
Georg Bartholomaus Roth, (1688-1735), from Bavaria, who arrived in Georgia in 1734 aboard the ship "Purysburg"
Conrad Roth, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Roth who settled in Philadelphia with his family in 1803
Franz Ludwig Roth, who landed in North America in 1837 4
Fredrick Roth, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 4
Adam Roth, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 4
Carl Roth, aged 37, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roth Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Johann Roth, aged 21, who landed in America in 1901 4
Albert Roth, who landed in Wisconsin in 1920 4

Roth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roth Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Georg Roth, who settled in Canada in 1783

Roth Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. John Roth, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec but died on Grosse Isle on 16th June 1847 5

Roth migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Roth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret Roth, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
William F. Roth, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
Robert Roth, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
Marie Roth, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
William James Roth, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Roth (post 1700) +

Philip Milton Roth (1933-2018), American author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1998 and the Man Booker Prize in 2011
Mark Roth (1951-2021), American professional bowler who won 34 PBA Tour titles in his career, inducted into the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame
Eric Roth, American Academy Award winning writer, producer and actor, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Forrest Gump (1994) and Munich (2005)
Eli Raphael Roth (b. 1972), American multiple award winning producer, actor and writer
Richard Roth (b. 1955), American journalist
Henry Roth (1906-1995), American novelist and short story writer
Billie D. Roth, American politician, Village President of Streamwood, Illinois, 2005-09 6
Arthur C. Roth, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Plauen, 1914 6
Arnold Roth, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988 6
Almon E. Roth, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1936 6
... (Another 61 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Roth family +

Bismarck

Martin Roth (1917-1941), German Obermaschinenmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 7
Lothar Roth (1916-1941), German Maschinenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 7

RMS Titanic

Miss Sarah A. Roth, aged 26, English Third Class passenger from London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking in collapsible C 8

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 54)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html