2000
#8,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,482
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Rhode
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the Greek island of Rhodes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,534 Americans carry the last name Rhode. That puts it at #9,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rhode surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rhode with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 96,988
Census rank
#9,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,082 bearers of the surname Rhode in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rhode
The surname Rhode has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word 'rod', meaning a clearing or rode in a forest. The earliest records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Rode'.
In the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with those who lived near a clearing or rode in a forest. It is believed that some early bearers of the name may have been woodsmen or foresters. The name was also occasionally used as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a road or path.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rhode was John Rode, a landowner in Gloucestershire, England, who was mentioned in documents from the early 13th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Roger Rode, a monk and chronicler who lived in the late 14th century and wrote about the history of his monastery in Gloucestershire.
The name Rhode also has variations in spelling, such as Rhoades, Roades, and Rodes. These variations can be found in historical records from various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Rhode was Sir John Rhoades, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1561. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and endowed several charitable institutions in the city.
Another notable bearer of the name was Walter Rodes, a 17th-century English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1663 to 1665.
In the 18th century, Sir John Rhoades (1701-1770) was a British naval officer and Member of Parliament. He served as a Captain in the Royal Navy and was later elected to the House of Commons, representing the borough of Queenborough.
Samuel Rhoades (1783-1838) was a British Nonconformist minister and author who wrote several theological works and served as a pastor in various churches in England.
The surname Rhode has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Rhodes Farm in Oxfordshire and Rhodes Green in Hertfordshire, further indicating its topographic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhode
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rhode bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rhode surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 2,752
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 107
- Two or more races2.7% · 83
- Black or African American2.4% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rhode
Rhode appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,523
+41 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 549 places
2020
#9,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,082
-441 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 753 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,688 | 3,482 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,237 | 3,523 | 1.19 | +41 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 549 places |
| 2020 | #9,990 | 3,082 | 1.03 | -441 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 753 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rhode surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,237 | #9,990 | -8.2% |
| Count | 3,523 | 3,082 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.03 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rhode bearers went from 3,523 to 3,082 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 753 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,237 to #9,990.
FAQ
Rhode surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rhode?
Name Census estimates that about 3,534 living Americans carry the surname Rhode. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,988 residents.
How common is Rhode?
Rhode ranks #9,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,082 people with the surname Rhode. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,534), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rhode.
Has Rhode become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rhode went from 3,523 recorded bearers to 3,082. That is a decrease of 441 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,237 to #9,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Rhode?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rhode in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (2,752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rhode appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rhode (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rhode mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the Greek island of Rhodes. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rhode (1.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Rhode?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.