2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rodbell
An occupational surname derived from the German "Rotgeber," meaning a dyer or tanner of red leather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Rodbell. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodbell 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Rodbell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rodbell
The surname RODBELL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "rod" meaning a clearing or path, and "bell" referring to a small hill or outcrop of land. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a clearing or path on a hill.
RODBELL is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest known bearer of the name was Radulphus de Rodbell, a landowner from Derbyshire. This entry provides evidence that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Rodebelle, Rodebill, and Rodbylle, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire, where many early RODBELL families were based.
One notable bearer of the RODBELL name was Sir John Rodbell (c.1420-1489), a wealthy merchant and alderman who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1472. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and endowed several charitable institutions in the city.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Rodbell (1572-1641), a Puritan writer and religious dissenter who advocated for greater religious freedom and tolerance. Her works, including "A Treatise on the Spiritual Freedom of the Soul," were influential during the English Reformation.
In the 18th century, the RODBELL name was associated with the village of Rodbell in Derbyshire, which may have been named after the family or vice versa. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, derived from a specific place or geographic feature.
Other notable individuals with the RODBELL surname include:
1. William Rodbell (1785-1857), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.
2. Mary Rodbell (1810-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in the United States.
3. James Rodbell (1845-1921), a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Rodbell Steel Company.
4. Henry Rodbell (1890-1967), a British artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
5. Alice Rodbell (1915-2002), an American biochemist and researcher who made significant contributions to the study of cell signaling and communication.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodbell
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodbell 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 Rodbell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodbell
Rodbell 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+19 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,550 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-7 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 8,550 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 9,103 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 Rodbell 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 | #132,206 | #141,309 | -6.9% |
| Count | 128 | 121 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodbell bearers went from 128 to 121 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 9,103 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #141,309.
FAQ
Rodbell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodbell?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Rodbell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Rodbell?
Rodbell ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Rodbell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rodbell.
Has Rodbell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodbell went from 128 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodbell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Rodbell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodbell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Rodbell (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 Rodbell mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German "Rotgeber," meaning a dyer or tanner of red leather. 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 Rodbell (0.04 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 Rodbell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.