Rodd
A Germanic given name possibly meaning "famous spear" or "famous power".
Name Census estimates that about 670 living Americans carry the first name Rodd. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rodd today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rodd births was 1969 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rodd. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
670
~ 1 in 511,574 Americans
Peak year
1969
49 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,039
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Rodd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rodd from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 334 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rodd by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rodd during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rodds live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Ohio, New York recorded the most babies named Rodd, while Iowa, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rodd
The name Rodd is believed to have originated from the Old English word "rod," meaning a slender shoot or branch of a plant. This name likely emerged in England during the medieval period, possibly as a nickname or surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent rod or wooden staff.
In the early days, the name Rodd was primarily found in areas of England where Old English dialects were spoken, such as the counties of Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria. Over time, the spelling evolved from "Rod" to "Rodd," with the latter becoming more common by the 16th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodd can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named "Rodocus" in Gloucestershire, which is likely a variant of the name Rodd.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rodd. One of the earliest was Sir John Rodd (1415-1487), a prominent English politician and diplomat who served as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland during the reign of Henry VI.
In the 18th century, Sir Renell Rodd (1742-1823) was a British naval officer who achieved fame for his role in the Battle of the Saintes during the American Revolutionary War. He later served as the Governor of Newfoundland from 1807 to 1811.
The 19th century saw the rise of Sir James Rennell Rodd (1858-1941), a British diplomat and author who served as the British Ambassador to Italy from 1908 to 1919. He was knighted for his contributions to Anglo-Italian relations.
Another notable figure was Sir Rennell Rodd (1892-1963), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century. He was awarded the Polar Medal for his contributions to polar exploration.
In the literary world, Rennell Rodd (1892-1958) was a British author and critic known for his works on English literature and his translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts.
These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the name Rodd, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military leaders, diplomats, explorers, and writers.
People
Rodd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rodd as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rodd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rodd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 670 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rodd going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 511,574 US residents.
Is Rodd a common name?
We classify Rodd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 771 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rodd most popular?
The single biggest year for Rodd was 1969, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rodd is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rodd a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rodd in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.