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

Rhody, 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 Rhody surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhody in America

Rhody is the 34668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhody surname appeared 652 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rhody.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhody 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 Rhody

The surname Rhody is an English name derived from the Old English word "rod" or "rode," which refers to a clearing or small area of land. The name likely originated in the early medieval period, around the 7th to 10th centuries, when many people began adopting hereditary surnames based on their occupation or the geographic features of the area they lived in.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rhody can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror in England. The name appears as "Rodhi" and is listed as a landholder in the county of Somerset.

In the 13th century, the surname was often spelled as "Rhodie" or "Rodie," reflecting the evolution of language and spelling variations during that time period. Some early examples of people bearing this name include John Rhodie, a merchant in London in 1284, and William Rodie, a landowner in Yorkshire in 1327.

As the name spread across England, it became associated with various place names that incorporated the word "rod" or "rode," such as Rodborough, Rodmarton, and Rodley. This connection to specific locations likely contributed to the emergence of different spelling variations of the surname, including Rhoades, Rhodes, and Rodes.

One notable figure with the surname Rhody was Sir John Rhody (1554-1627), a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General for Ireland during the reign of King James I. Another was Robert Rhody (1675-1752), a Scottish-born British Army officer who served in the Wars of the Spanish Succession and later became the Governor of the Isle of Man.

Other historical figures bearing the surname Rhody include:

1. William Rhody (1628-1688), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. Thomas Rhody (1760-1835), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Rhody (1810-1890), a British philanthropist and social reformer.
4. James Rhody (1842-1914), an American businessman and inventor.
5. Margaret Rhody (1885-1956), a British suffragette and women's rights activist.

While the surname Rhody may have evolved from its Old English roots and taken on various spellings over the centuries, its connection to the concept of a small clearing or area of land has remained a consistent theme throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhody

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

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 Rhody 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 Rhody 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 Rhody was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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