Roddick
A masculine name derived from the Old English words "rod" (clearing) and "ric" (powerful).
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Roddick. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Roddick today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roddick births was 2008 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roddick. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Roddick. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2008
7 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2008 SSA rank
#10,787
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Roddick: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Roddick 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 Roddick during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Roddick
The name Roddick is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "rod" and "ic," meaning "famous for the rod." This name was likely first used during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD.
In ancient times, the rod was a symbol of authority and power, often carried by kings, lords, and other rulers. As such, the name Roddick may have been bestowed upon someone who wielded significant influence or held a position of authority within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roddick can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as Rodric, Roderic, and Roderick.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Roddick. One of the most famous was Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), an English explorer, writer, and courtier who played a significant role in the English colonization of North America. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and was instrumental in establishing the first English settlement in Virginia, which he named after the Virgin Queen.
Another prominent figure was Roderick Impey Murchison (1792-1871), a Scottish geologist who is best known for his contributions to the study of the Silurian system of rocks. He served as the President of the Royal Geographical Society and the Geological Society of London, and his name is commemorated in the Murchison Falls in Uganda.
In the realm of literature, Roderick Hudson (1875) is a novel by Henry James, centered around a young American sculptor of the same name. The novel explores themes of artistic ambition, cultural conflict, and the challenges faced by artists in pursuit of their craft.
Another notable figure was Roderick MacKenzie (1787-1853), a Canadian fur trader and explorer who played a significant role in the expansion of the Hudson's Bay Company's operations in the Pacific Northwest. He established several trading posts and explored vast regions of what is now western Canada and the United States.
Finally, Roderick "Roddy" Macdonald (1928-2018) was a Scottish singer and actor who gained fame as a member of the folk revival group The Corries. He was also known for his roles in several films, including "Greyfriars Bobby" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie."
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Roddick, a name with roots in ancient English and a rich heritage associated with authority, power, and influential figures across various fields.
People
Roddick + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roddick 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
Roddick: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roddick?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roddick 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Roddick a common name?
We classify Roddick as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% 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 Roddick most popular?
The single biggest year for Roddick was 2008, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roddick is about 19 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 Roddick in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Roddick a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roddick 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 Roddick still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Roddick 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 Roddick 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 Americans are named Roddick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.