Roddey
Of English origin, meaning "dweller by the clearing in the woods".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Roddey. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Roddey today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roddey births was 1945 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roddey. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Roddey is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Roddeys were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Roddey. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1945
6 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1957 SSA rank
#3,907
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Roddey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roddey from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roddey 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 Roddey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Roddeys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Roddey
The given name Roddey is a rare and unique name that has its origins in the English language. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rod," which means a clearing or a small piece of land. The name likely originated in England during the medieval period, when it was common for people to be named after their occupation or the place they lived.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roddey can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name may have been in use as early as the 11th century.
Throughout history, the name Roddey has been relatively uncommon, but there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name. One such person was Roddey Reid, a Scottish soldier and explorer who lived in the 18th century. He is known for his travels in the Americas and his involvement in the French and Indian War.
Another notable individual with the name Roddey was Roddey Plowden, an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the legal community during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 19th century, Roddey Manning was an American politician and lawyer from South Carolina. He served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and was active in the secessionist movement leading up to the American Civil War.
The name Roddey also appears in literature, with one of the earliest examples being Roddey Elliston, a character in the novel "The Pioneers" by James Fenimore Cooper, published in 1823. This fictional character was a rugged frontiersman living in the American wilderness.
While the name Roddey has remained relatively rare throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and professions, spanning different time periods and regions. Despite its obscurity, the name has managed to leave a lasting impression in the historical records of several countries and cultures.
People
Roddey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roddey 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
Roddey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roddey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roddey 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Roddey a common name?
We classify Roddey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roddey most popular?
The single biggest year for Roddey was 1945, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roddey is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Roddey in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Roddey a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roddey 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.
Is Roddey still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Roddey in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Roddey can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Roddey as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Roddey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.