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

Roden, 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 Roden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roden in America

Roden is the 5245th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roden surname appeared 6,653 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 Roden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roden 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 Roden

The surname Roden has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "rod", meaning a clearing in a forest or a piece of cleared land. This points to the name originally being an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked on or lived near a clearing in a wooded area.

The name can be found in various medieval records, including the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of official documents from the region of Saxony in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Rodun, Rodon, and Roden.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Roden, a landowner in the town of Quedlinburg, Saxony, mentioned in documents from the year 1285. Another notable early figure was Konrad Roden, a merchant from the city of Hamburg, who is referenced in trade records from the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name Roden appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where it was often associated with the nearby town of Rodenkirchen, which translates to "Roden's church". This suggests a possible connection between the surname and a place name derived from the same root word.

One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Roden was Sir Benjamin Roden (1572-1642), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. He was a prominent figure in the English Civil War and served as the Governor of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

Other notable individuals include Johann Roden (1647-1711), a German composer and organist known for his sacred works, and Carl Roden (1812-1892), a German-American engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.

In the 19th century, the Roden surname can be found in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where the Dutch painter Willem Roden (1817-1892) was a prominent figure in the Hague School of art.

Throughout its history, the surname Roden has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, musicians, engineers, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roden

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

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

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

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