Our Mission: To cross-reference (Xref) every Rowland Y-DNA test-taker to their descendant trees, and to be a center-of-competence for genealogy research related to the Rowland surname (and its variants).

Rowland Genealogy is not limited to family trees or to the estimated 200,000 members of the unofficial Rowland surname club. More than just a tree, it is home to the Rowland Xref Project, where our research is linking Rowland Y-DNA to Rowland ancestral family trees. There is something here for everyone, regardless of surname, and we strive to help every visitor have a better understanding of genealogy before leaving. Our objective is to be a valuable resource for genealogists and anyone with a Rowland in their family tree.

While Rowland (believed to have originated in England) is the most common spelling, we also cover many popular variations including Roland (probably originated in France or Germany), Rolland (used mostly in France), Rowlands (a version popular in Wales), and Ruland (of French origin).

Recent Articles

• 
  Further History of John Rowland of the Rancho La PuenteJuly 25, 2024
  Guest author Paul R. Spitzzeri graciously contributed his article “No Place Like Home: Some Further History of John Rowland of… Read more: Further History of John Rowland of the Rancho La Puente
• 
  Rowland On The Road 2024June 16, 2024
  Rowland Genealogy will be “closed” from June 18 to July 4, 2024, as Ron Rowland goes on the road. I… Read more: Rowland On The Road 2024
• 
  #14 (Vol 5, No 1) – June 2024June 5, 2024
  In this issue, we look into the thousands of untested people named Rowland (and variants) who do not know which DNA group they belong to.
• 
  How a Love Triangle Brought Down the Career of Adele RowlandApril 3, 2024
  Editor’s note: The article below, How a Love Triangle Brought Down the Career of Adele Rowland, was originally published on… Read more: How a Love Triangle Brought Down the Career of Adele Rowland
• 
  Using Ancient DNA Connections and History to Interpret Your Ethnicity ResultsMarch 12, 2024
  Editor’s Note: Guest author Nick Rowland explores the Ancient Connections feature at FamilyTreeDNA and explains how knowing history helps in… Read more: Using Ancient DNA Connections and History to Interpret Your Ethnicity Results

All Articles

This page contains links to all of our articles and posts.

Your Quickstart Guide to Rowland Genealogy

We’ve included the following navigational aids:

• This Page — Keep scrolling down this page for high-level descriptions and links to all the major topics.
• Menu Bar — A menu bar is at the top of each page, and many items contain sub-menu items. If you are reading this on a mobile device, then the menu will probably appear as three short horizontal lines.
• Search Button — At the far right of the menu bar is the magnifying glass icon for searches. If it does not show up on your mobile menu, then use the Search feature in the sidebar (near the bottom of the page on a mobile device).

Rowland Research

The Rowland Research section focuses on genealogy and genealogical research that is specific to the Rowland surname. Topics and pages include:

Rowland Project at WikiTree — Current activities and status of Rowland profiles on WikiTree.

Rowland Project at FamilyTreeDNA — Current activities and status of the Y-DNA testing efforts.

How to Participate in the Rowland Xref Project — We need your help. We need more Rowland Y-DNA test takers, especially from outside the United States. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how you can participate in the Rowland Xref Project.

Rowland Resources — A list of books, websites, and compilations specific to the Rowland surname for your genealogical research.

Xref Project

Rowland Xref Project — This is the heart of our current research efforts, and our goal is an ambitious one. We want to cross-reference (Xref) all Rowland Y-DNA test takers at FamilyTreeDNA to their associated Rowland ancestral line at WikiTree.

Rowland Xref Project Summary — Contains status tables of the overall project, DNA Group descendant trees, and descendant trees of the “untested” group.

Rowland DNA Groups — There are currently 15 defined Y-DNA groups (lettered A through O), plus a large quantity of “ungrouped” test takers without any Y-DNA matches, and a number of “untested” groupings with Rowland descendant trees but without any known Y-DNA test takers within the group.

General Genealogy

An area for our non-Rowland-specific genealogy information.

Genealogy Websites — From Ancestry to WikiTree, all the major websites and links are outlined. It is a guide to websites and other resources pertaining to genealogy, genetics, and research. There are subsections for General Purpose Websites, Research Sites, and DNA Testing & Analysis.

Genetic Genealogy — Genetic genealogy combines the science of DNA testing with traditional document-based methods to help determine family relationships. This section provides an understandable introduction and resource guide to using DNA in your genealogy research activities.

How to Navigate a WikiTree Profile — If you are new to WikiTree, then this example and how-to guide should help you get started.

My Non-Rowland Ancestors — Like all of you, I have thousands of ancestors that do not carry the Rowland surname. This section contains a summary of my research, including my 85,000+ DNA matches. Surnames in my tree include Wilson, Norman, Van Tassel, Brown, Diehl, and many more.

Articles

Articles — Blogs, Stories, Articles, whatever you want to call them, they are all here. Do you have a story to tell about your Rowland family or your genealogy research activities? We are always receptive to publishing guest articles that would be of interest to our audience.

Rowland Name

There are hundreds of distinct Rowland family lines around the world and throughout human history. There are many famous Rowlands and a few with interesting stories. The list includes Nobel Prize winners, French Revolutionists, Hollywood stars, and more.

There are many places that literally have the Rowland name on them, and they are not just limited to streets and cemeteries. Our name is not constrained to planet Earth either — there is a Rowland Crater on the moon.

People

• Name Origin — The first known Rowland was Roland, the brave knight, and nephew of Charlemagne.
• Famous Rowlands — Our famous Rowland/Roland/Rowlands ancestors from around the globe.
• Interesting and Quirky Rowland Ancestors — One Rowland family completely assimilated into the Cheyenne tribe of Tongue River, Montana.
• Untimely and Unnatural Deaths — Murder, steamboat explosion, being run over by a streetcar, and being “speared by natives” are just a few of the ways some of our ancestors met their untimely demise.
• Be Fruitful and Multiply — In days of yore, today’s average of 1.9 children (United States) per family would be considered slacking. Here are Rowland families with a dozen or more children.

Military

• Rowland Participation in the American Revolution — About 40 Rowland men were among the Patriots of the American Revolution.
• Rowland Participation in the American Civil War — About 1,200 of our Rowland ancestors took up arms in the Civil War, roughly divided between the Union and the Confederacy.

Places & Things

• Places Named Rowland — Rowland Crater, cities and towns, rivers, islands, mountains, and glaciers.
• Rowland Homes and Buildings — The oldest surviving brick structure in Southern California, the “Agreed In Peace” homestead and Mennonite Meeting House, the Philadelphia Shovel House, and the Rowland Institute for Science at Harvard are just a few of the Rowland homes and buildings.
• Rowland Cemeteries — There are nearly 100 cemeteries named Rowland — they’re all listed here along with the quantity of Rowland ancestors buried in each.

Free Downloads

Rowland Genealogies — Our collection of free Rowland genealogy books and documents. Most focus on a particular Rowland line, while some focus on another surname with Rowland being an “allied” family.

Non-Rowland Genealogies — Our collection of free genealogy books and documents that focus on other surnames, mostly related to “the other side ” of my family.

Help

Rowland Genealogy Newsletter — Stay informed of Rowland Genealogy activities by subscribing to our newsletter (or using the form in the sidebar).

Genealogy Glossary — A list of common genealogy terms and their definitions.

FAQ — Our Frequently Asked Questions (along with some answers).

Ask Ron — Do you have questions about Rowland genealogy or genealogy in general? If you can’t find an answer elsewhere, you can always ask Ron.

Contact — Electronic contact information.

About — A brief summary of this site.

Keeping Abreast

RowlandGenealogy on Facebook — follow/like us on Facebook to keep abreast of new activities.

If you are a Rowland or have a Rowland in your family tree, then you need to subscribe to the Rowland Genealogy Newsletter.