Rodella
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Spanish place name.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Rodella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rodella today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rodella births was 1919 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rodella. 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 Rodella is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rodellas were born before 1969.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rodella. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1919
6 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1966 SSA rank
#7,374
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Rodella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rodella from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Rodella remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rodella 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 Rodella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rodella
The name Rodella has its origins in the Italian language and culture, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be a diminutive form of the Italian name Rodolfo, which itself is derived from the Germanic elements "hruod" meaning "fame" and "wulf" meaning "wolf." The name Rodolfo was popularized throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and the diminutive form Rodella emerged as a pet name or nickname for those bearing the longer original name.
In its early usage, Rodella was primarily found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. The name may have been influenced by the presence of Germanic tribes that settled in these areas during the migrations of the 5th to 6th centuries AD.
While there are no known direct references to the name Rodella in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's roots can be traced back to the broader usage of Germanic names during the medieval period. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodella can be found in various Italian municipal records and family chronicles from the 13th to 15th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rodella. One of the earliest was Rodella de' Lambertazzi, a noblewoman from Bologna, Italy, who lived in the late 13th century and was known for her involvement in the political conflicts between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions.
Another notable bearer of the name was Rodella Visconti, an Italian noblewoman from the 14th century who was a member of the powerful Visconti family that ruled over the Duchy of Milan.
In the 15th century, there was Rodella da Viterbo, an Italian painter and illuminator who was active in the city of Viterbo and is known for her contributions to the art of manuscript illumination.
Moving forward in time, Rodella Mancini (1640-1715) was an Italian composer and singer who achieved recognition for her operatic works during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, Rodella Scarpetta (1820-1886) was an Italian playwright and actor who was known for his comedic plays that satirized the social and political issues of his time.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Rodella throughout history, illustrating its enduring presence and cultural significance within the Italian tradition.
People
Rodella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rodella 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
Rodella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rodella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rodella 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Rodella a common name?
We classify Rodella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rodella most popular?
The single biggest year for Rodella was 1919, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rodella is about 67 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 Rodella in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rodella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rodella in the SSA data are female. 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 Rodella still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rodella 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 Rodella 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 Rodella as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Rodella, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.