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

Rod, 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 Rod surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rod in America

Rod is the 18734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rod surname appeared 1,465 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rod.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rod 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 Rod

The surname ROD is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "rod" meaning a pole, staff, or branch. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of rods or poles, or possibly as a topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent rod-shaped landmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ROD can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rode" in the county of Norfolk. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Rodde" in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1230. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 also mention a Richard Rodde.

The surname ROD has several variants and spellings throughout history, including Rodd, Rodde, Roddes, and Rodds. These variations often reflected regional dialects and scribal preferences in spelling.

One notable historical figure with the surname ROD was Sir John Rodd (1630-1681), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. He was a prominent figure during the Stuart period and served as a judge during the reign of Charles II.

Another individual of note was Thomas Rodd (1763-1822), an English topographer and writer. He published several works on the history and antiquities of various counties in England, including "The Antiquities of Leicestershire" and "The History of Norfolk."

In the 19th century, Sir James Rennell Rodd (1858-1941) was a British diplomat and author. He served as Ambassador to Italy and later became a prominent figure in the League of Nations.

Sir Rennell Rodd's son, Sir Rennel Rodd (1892-1971), followed in his father's footsteps and had a distinguished career in the British Diplomatic Service, serving as Ambassador to Greece and later to Belgium.

A more contemporary figure with the surname ROD was Sir Sampson Rodd (1926-2010), a British diplomat and author. He served in various diplomatic postings, including as Ambassador to Lebanon and later to Jordan.

These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the surname ROD, which has been present in England and other parts of the United Kingdom for centuries, with bearers of the name making significant contributions in fields such as law, literature, and diplomacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rod

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

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

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

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