How common is the surname Robertson?

153,666 people in the United States had the surname Robertson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,009 Americans. It ranked 175th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Robertson?

Cliff Robertson, American actor (1923–2011), followed by Oscar Robertson.

Where is the surname Robertson most common?

Wikidata records people named Robertson in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 2 other countries.

How do you pronounce Robertson?

Robertson is /ˈɹɑ.bɚt.sən/, 3 syllables.

Is the surname Robertson getting more or less common?

More common. 150,299 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 153,666 in 2010, up 2.2%.

The surname Robertson

A patronymic surname, carried by 153,666 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈɹɑ.bɚt.sən/ 3 syllables Soundex R163

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Robertson is more common than 99.9% of them.

Origin

From Robert + -son.

Robertson is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 153,666 people named Robertson in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 2,009 Americans. That is up 2.2% since 2000, when the Census counted 150,299.

#175

rank among US surnames

153,666

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+2.2%

change since 2000 (was #159)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#166	Mason	160,213	1,927
#167	Dixon	159,480	1,936
#168	Munoz	158,483	1,948
#169	Hunt	158,421	1,949
#170	Hicks	158,320	1,950
#171	Holmes	156,780	1,969
#172	Palmer	156,601	1,972

Who is named Robertson

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

73% of people named Robertson identified as white (not Hispanic), 21% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 73%
Black (not Hispanic) 21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 2.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Robertsons

51 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Cliff Robertson
American actor (1923–2011)
Oscar Robertson
American basketball player (born 1938)
Britt Robertson
American actress (born 1990)
Neil Robertson
Australian professional snooker player, born 1982
Pat Robertson
American media mogul and minister (1930–2023)
Dale Robertson
American actor (1923-2013)
Alvin Robertson
American basketball player (born 1962)
Kimmy Robertson
American actress, born 1954
Patricia Robertson
American astronaut (1963–2001)
Howard P. Robertson
American mathematician and physicist (1903–1961)
Morgan Robertson
American writer (1861–1915)
Dennis Robertson
British economist (1890–1963)

Notable Robertsons come mostly from the United States (37), Australia (6) and the United Kingdom (5).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Robertson

Robertson has the Soundex code R163, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code R163.

Questions

Where does the surname Robertson come from?: From Robert + -son.
How common is the surname Robertson?: 153,666 people in the United States had the surname Robertson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,009 Americans. It ranked 175th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Robertson?: In the 2010 Census, 73% of people named Robertson identified as white (not Hispanic), and 21% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Robertson?: Cliff Robertson, American actor (1923–2011), followed by Oscar Robertson.
Where is the surname Robertson most common?: Wikidata records people named Robertson in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom and 2 other countries.
How do you pronounce Robertson?: Robertson is /ˈɹɑ.bɚt.sən/, 3 syllables.
What type of surname is Robertson?: Robertson is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Robertson getting more or less common?: More common. 150,299 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 153,666 in 2010, up 2.2%.