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

Rodden, 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 Rodden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodden in America

Rodden is the 13271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodden surname appeared 2,298 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 Rodden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodden 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 Rodden

The surname RODDEN originates from England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period, specifically the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "rod" and "denu," which collectively translate to "valley of the clearing" or "valley with many clearings." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided in or near a valley that had been cleared for agricultural or settlement purposes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RODDEN name can be found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in its earliest form, "Rodedene," which over time evolved into the more modern spelling of RODDEN.

In the 13th century, records from the county of Staffordshire mention a John de Rodden, a landholder in the village of Rodden, which likely took its name from the surname itself. This village's name was originally spelled as "Rodedene," further reinforcing the connection between the place name and the surname's origins.

During the 16th century, the RODDEN surname gained notable prominence with the birth of Sir John Rodden (1524-1593), a renowned English soldier and military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I. His bravery and leadership during the Anglo-Spanish War earned him widespread recognition and elevated the family's status.

Another notable figure bearing the RODDEN surname was William Rodden (1676-1741), an influential merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. His successful business ventures and philanthropic efforts left a lasting impact on the local community, with a church and a public house bearing his name as a tribute.

In the 19th century, the RODDEN family produced a distinguished scholar and historian, James Rodden (1812-1887). His extensive research and publications on the history of England and the British Empire earned him recognition from academic institutions and garnered respect among his contemporaries.

As the centuries progressed, the RODDEN surname continued to spread across various regions of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the colonies in North America and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodden

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!