Rollo
A Germanic masculine name meaning "famous wolf" or "famous warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 246 living Americans carry the first name Rollo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rollo today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rollo births was 1918 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rollo. 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
246
~ 1 in 1,393,310 Americans
Peak year
1918
38 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,614
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Rollo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rollo from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 222 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rollo 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 Rollo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rollos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Illinois, Michigan, Iowa recorded the most babies named Rollo, while Iowa, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rollo
The name Rollo has its origins in the Old Norse language, tracing back to the Viking era in Scandinavia. It is derived from the Old Norse name "Rólf," which is a contracted form of the words "hróðr" meaning "fame" and "ulfr" meaning "wolf." The name can be interpreted as "famous wolf" or "renowned warrior."
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Rollo was Rollo the Viking, also known as Rolf the Ganger or Rollon, who lived from around 846 to 932 AD. He was a Norse Viking leader who became the first Duke of Normandy after successfully conquering parts of northern France. His descendants went on to become the ruling dynasty of Normandy and played a significant role in the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
Another early recorded use of the name Rollo can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative from the 12th century that chronicles the history of the Earls of Orkney. The saga mentions a character named Rollo, who was a powerful jarl (earl) in the Orkney Islands during the late 9th century.
In the 13th century, a German knight named Rollo von Hochdorf was mentioned in various historical records, including the Codex Manesse, a renowned medieval German manuscript containing poems and illustrations of famous knights and nobles.
During the 16th century, an Italian painter named Rollo Marghinotti gained recognition for his religious artworks, particularly his altarpieces and frescoes in various churches across Italy.
In the 18th century, Rollo Gillespie was a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1766 and is remembered for his role in the Battle of Vellore in 1806, where he successfully suppressed a mutiny by Indian sepoys.
The name Rollo has been used throughout history, spanning different cultures and eras, and has been carried by various notable figures, from Vikings and nobles to artists and military leaders. Its origins can be traced back to the Old Norse language, reflecting the rich heritage of Scandinavian names and their association with fame, valor, and strength.
People
Rollo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rollo 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
Rollo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rollo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 246 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rollo 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 1,393,310 US residents.
Is Rollo a common name?
We classify Rollo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 940 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rollo most popular?
The single biggest year for Rollo was 1918, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rollo is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rollo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rollo 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.