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

Roddy, 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 Roddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roddy in America

Roddy is the 4939th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roddy surname appeared 7,127 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Roddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roddy 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 Roddy

The surname Roddy is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Celtic name Rothaidh, which means "the red one" or "the ruddy one," likely referring to a person's hair color or complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as "Rothy" and "Rothe."

In the 15th century, the name was also spelled as "Rothie" and "Rothy" in various Scottish records and manuscripts. Some variations, such as "Roddey" and "Roddie," emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Roddy surname is particularly associated with the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, where it is believed to have originated. It is also found in other parts of the country, such as the Scottish Borders and the Highlands.

One notable person with the surname Roddy was George Roddy (1785-1854), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Royal Scottish Academy and the High School.

Another prominent figure was Sir George Roddy (1892-1971), a British army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery.

In the 18th century, a man named James Roddy (1728-1794) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Pennsylvania, United States. He is considered one of the earliest bearers of the surname in North America.

The Roddy name was also represented in the arts, with John Roddy (1870-1934), an Irish-born American actor who appeared in several silent films and stage productions in the early 20th century.

Finally, William Roddy (1925-2007) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1968 to 1979, representing the riding of Middlesex.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roddy

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

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

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

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