The name Roderic has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically derived from the Old High German name Roderic, which is a compound of the elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler." This name dates back to the early medieval period, around the 5th to 7th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roderic can be found in the historical records of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, where a king named Roderic (also spelled Rodrigo) ruled from 710 to 711 CE. His reign witnessed the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, marking the end of the Visigothic Kingdom.

In the 9th century, the name Roderic appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an important historical record of events in Anglo-Saxon England. The Chronicle mentions a Roderic who was a Mercian ruler in the year 841 CE.

During the Middle Ages, the name Roderic was also found in various religious and literary works. For instance, a monk named Roderic the Lame, who lived in the 12th century, wrote a chronicle titled "Historia Compostelana" about the history of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

One of the most famous historical figures bearing the name Roderic was Roderic Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503). He was a controversial figure in the history of the Catholic Church, known for his nepotism and alleged corruption.

Another notable figure was Roderic O'Conor (1116-1198), the last High King of Ireland from the O'Conor dynasty. He played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.

In the 16th century, Roderic Stoughton (1497-1559) was an English Catholic priest and chaplain to Queen Mary I of England. He was also a prominent figure in the English Reformation.

The name Roderic has also been found in various literary works, such as the character Roderic Random in the 18th-century novel "The Adventures of Roderick Random" by Tobias Smollett.