Find out how popular the last name Rhoden is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rhoden.

Rhoden, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rhoden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhoden in America

Rhoden is the 5617th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhoden surname appeared 6,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rhoden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhoden to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rhoden

The surname Rhoden originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "rhu" meaning red and "dun" meaning hill or fort, referring to someone who lived near a red-colored hill or fortified area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1494, where a John Rhuddone is mentioned as a tenant in the lands of Lenzie, near Glasgow. The name is also found in various spellings like Ruidon, Rhuddone, and Rhudden in historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries.

In the early 17th century, the Rhoden family was well-established in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the area around Jedburgh. Notable members from this time include Robert Rhoden (c. 1580-1650), who was a prominent landowner and elder of the local church.

During the Scottish Reformation, several individuals with the surname Rhoden were persecuted for their Protestant beliefs. One such example is James Rhoden (c. 1532-1589), who was imprisoned and later executed for his role in the Protestant movement.

As the centuries passed, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 18th century, a branch of the Rhoden family settled in County Antrim, Ireland. One of their descendants, William Rhoden (1773-1854), became a successful merchant and landowner in Belfast.

Another notable figure was John Rhoden (1828-1892), a Scottish-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 19th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is from the Revolutionary War era, when a soldier named Robert Rhoden (c. 1755-1832) served in the Virginia Militia.

Other significant individuals with the surname Rhoden include Sir Robert Rhoden (1859-1934), a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament, and Mary Rhoden (1901-1976), an American artist and illustrator known for her depictions of rural life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhoden

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rhoden.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rhoden was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rhoden has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rhoden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rhoden, please contact us.

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