Rodnell
A masculine name derived from the Old English elements "rod" meaning "famous" and "nell" meaning "champion".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Rodnell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rodnell today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rodnell births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rodnell. 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 Rodnell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#13,790
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Rodnell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Rodnell 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 Rodnell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Rodnell
The name Rodnell has its origins in the Old English language, which was spoken in parts of Britain during the early medieval period, roughly between the 5th and 11th centuries AD. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "rod" meaning "rod" or "pole" and "nell" which was a diminutive suffix, often used to indicate smallness or affection.
The earliest known recorded use of the name Rodnell dates back to the 8th century, where it appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this text, a landowner named Rodnell is mentioned as holding estates in the county of Wiltshire.
One of the earliest notable historical figures to bear the name Rodnell was Rodnell of Salisbury, a 12th-century English prelate who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1142 to 1159. He was known for his involvement in the construction of the iconic Salisbury Cathedral, which was completed during his tenure.
Another prominent individual with the name Rodnell was Sir Rodnell de Vere, a 13th-century English nobleman and military commander who fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III. He was a member of the powerful de Vere family and played a significant role in the conflicts that shaped the political landscape of medieval England.
In the 14th century, a Benedictine monk named Rodnell of Bury St. Edmunds gained recognition for his scholarly works, particularly in the field of theology. His treatises and commentaries on religious texts were widely studied and discussed in monastic circles of the time.
During the 16th century, Rodnell Smithe, an English playwright and poet, made contributions to the literary scene with his works, including several plays and poetic compositions. While not as well-known as his contemporaries like Shakespeare or Marlowe, his works provide insights into the cultural and artistic landscape of Elizabethan England.
It is worth noting that while the name Rodnell has historical roots and has been used throughout various periods, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times, especially in comparison to more popular names of similar origin or meaning.
People
Rodnell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rodnell 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
Rodnell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rodnell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rodnell 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Rodnell a common name?
We classify Rodnell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rodnell most popular?
The single biggest year for Rodnell was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rodnell is about 10 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 Rodnell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rodnell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rodnell 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 Rodnell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rodnell 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 Rodnell 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 common is the name Rodnell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.