2000
#13,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Rodden
Derived from a place name meaning "a clearing in the woods" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,257 Americans carry the last name Rodden. That puts it at #14,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,863 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rodden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,863
Census rank
#14,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,968 bearers of the surname Rodden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodden, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodden
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodden, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodden 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 Rodden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 1,769
- Two or more races5.2% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodden
Rodden 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
#13,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,298
+267 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 425 places
2020
#14,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,968
-330 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,696 | 2,031 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,271 | 2,298 | 0.78 | +267 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 425 places |
| 2020 | #14,555 | 1,968 | 0.66 | -330 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 1,284 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 Rodden 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 | #13,271 | #14,555 | -9.7% |
| Count | 2,298 | 1,968 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.66 | -15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodden bearers went from 2,298 to 1,968 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 1,284 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,271 to #14,555.
FAQ
Rodden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodden?
Name Census estimates that about 2,257 living Americans carry the surname Rodden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,863 residents.
How common is Rodden?
Rodden ranks #14,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,968 people with the surname Rodden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,257), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rodden.
Has Rodden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodden went from 2,298 recorded bearers to 1,968. That is a decrease of 330 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,271 to #14,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodden, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Rodden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,769 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Rodden (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 Rodden mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "a clearing in the woods" in Old English. 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 Rodden (0.66 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 share the surname Rodden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.