Rolin
A masculine German name of uncertain origin, possibly related to rowland "renown land".
Name Census estimates that about 171 living Americans carry the first name Rolin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rolin today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rolin births was 1923 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rolin. 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.
People living today
171
~ 1 in 2,004,411 Americans
Peak year
1923
11 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,688
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Rolin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rolin from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 50 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rolin 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 Rolin 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 Rolin
The given name Rolin has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically from the Old German and Old English words "rod" and "lind," which translate to "famous" and "tender" or "soft," respectively. This combination suggests that Rolin may have originally meant "famous for being tender or soft."
During the medieval period, the name was found predominantly in regions of present-day Germany and England, where it was used as a masculine name. It is believed that the name gained popularity in these areas due to the influence of Germanic tribes and their cultural traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rolin can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a 9th-century manuscript from the Carolingian Empire. The document mentions a nobleman named Rolin, who was a landholder in the region of Westphalia, in present-day Germany.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rolin. One of the most prominent was Rolin Kerr (1753-1844), a Scottish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Another notable figure was Rolin Jones (1829-1905), an American politician and businessman from Ohio who served as the 34th Governor of Arkansas from 1893 to 1897. He played a significant role in the development of the state's infrastructure and educational system.
In the world of literature, Rolin Milbanke (1788-1825) was an English poet and the husband of Lord Byron's wife, Annabella Milbanke. His poetic works, though not widely acclaimed, provide insights into the literary circles of 19th-century England.
The name Rolin also has a connection to the arts, with Rolin Stafford-Deitsch (1912-1986) being a notable American sculptor and artist known for his abstract and modernist works. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums across the United States.
Another individual of historical significance was Rolin C. Mallory (1784-1831), an American lawyer and politician from Ohio who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and later as a judge in the state's Supreme Court.
People
Rolin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rolin 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
Rolin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rolin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 171 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rolin 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 2,004,411 US residents.
Is Rolin a common name?
We classify Rolin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 261 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rolin most popular?
The single biggest year for Rolin was 1923, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rolin is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rolin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rolin 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.
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.