Roddenberry
A location name referring to a place named Roddenbury.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 686 Americans carry the last name Roddenberry. That puts it at #37,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 499,642 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roddenberry surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
686
1 in 499,642
Census rank
#37,848
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
587
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 587 bearers of the surname Roddenberry in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roddenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roddenberry
The surname Roddenberry is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a place name, perhaps a town or village where an early bearer of the name resided or hailed from. One possibility is that it stems from the Old English words "rod" (meaning a clearing or rode) and "bury" (a fortified town or manor), suggesting a connection to a settlement situated in a cleared area.
Early recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279 mention a John de Rodenebury, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 include a reference to a William Roddingbery. These variations in spelling were common in historical records, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings before they became standardized.
The Roddenberry name appears to have been concentrated in certain regions of England during its early history, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Sussex. This may indicate that the name originated from a specific location within one of these areas.
One notable bearer of the Roddenberry surname was Sir John Roddenbury (c. 1350-1412), a knight and landowner from Bedfordshire. Another was William Roddenbury (c. 1480-1545), a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Henry VIII.
In the 17th century, a Roddenberry family settled in the American colonies, with records showing a John Roddenberry residing in Virginia as early as 1635. This branch of the family later spread to other parts of the country, including Kentucky and Texas.
Among the more prominent individuals with the Roddenberry surname was Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (1921-1991), the American writer and producer best known for creating the iconic science fiction series Star Trek. His father, Eugene Edward Roddenberry (1886-1969), was a Baptist minister and police officer.
Other notable Roddenberrys throughout history include:
- William Roddenberry (1756-1841), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Kentucky.
- John Roddenberry (1789-1857), a Texas pioneer and rancher, one of the first settlers in present-day Harris County.
- Hubert Roddenberry (1888-1949), an American football player and coach who led the Rice University football team from 1919 to 1927.
- Majel Barrett Roddenberry (1932-2008), an American actress and producer, wife of Gene Roddenberry and a regular performer in the Star Trek franchise.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roddenberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Roddenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Roddenberry bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Roddenberry surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4%
- Two or more races1.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2%
- Unknown or suppressed0.9%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Roddenberry surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #42,134 | #37,848 | 10.2% |
| Count | 485 | 587 | 21.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.20 | 11.1% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Roddenberry bearers went from 485 to 587 (+21.0% change). The surname moved up 4,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,134 to #37,848.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Roddenberry
FAQ
Roddenberry surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Roddenberry?
The surname Roddenberry holds position #37,848 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 686 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Roddenberry surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roddenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.