2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rodenbach
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a small wooded stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Rodenbach. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodenbach 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Rodenbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rodenbach
The surname RODENBACH has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region that is now modern-day Germany, specifically in the area around the Rhine River.
The name RODENBACH is derived from the German words "Roden," meaning to clear land, and "Bach," meaning a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a small stream in a cleared or deforested area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RODENBACH dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in a document from the town of Cologne. The name was spelled as "Rodenbach" in this record, which is similar to its modern spelling.
In the 14th century, the name RODENBACH was also found in records from the town of Mainz, where it was spelled as "Rodenbache." This variation in spelling was common during this time period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
One notable bearer of the RODENBACH surname was Johannes Rodenbach, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born in Münster in 1480 and died in 1540.
Another historical figure with the RODENBACH surname was Georg Rodenbach, a Belgian novelist and poet who lived in the late 19th century. He was born in Ghent in 1855 and died in Paris in 1898. His most famous work was the novel "Bruges-la-Morte," which is considered a classic of Belgian literature.
In the 16th century, the name RODENBACH was also found in records from the town of Heidelberg, where it was spelled as "Rodenbacher." One notable bearer of the name from this time period was Hans Rodenbacher, a merchant and landowner who lived in Heidelberg in the mid-16th century.
Another bearer of the RODENBACH surname was Johann Rodenbach, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in Mainz in 1674 and died in Frankfurt in 1732.
Finally, in the 19th century, the name RODENBACH was found in records from the town of Bonn, where it was spelled as "Rodenbach." One notable bearer of the name from this time period was Karl Rodenbach, a German politician and lawyer who lived from 1823 to 1893.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodenbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodenbach 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 Rodenbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodenbach
Rodenbach 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-6 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,718 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-20 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,591 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 12,718 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 18,591 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 Rodenbach 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 | #133,048 | #151,639 | -14.0% |
| Count | 127 | 107 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodenbach bearers went from 127 to 107 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 18,591 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #151,639.
FAQ
Rodenbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodenbach?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Rodenbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Rodenbach?
Rodenbach ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Rodenbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rodenbach.
Has Rodenbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodenbach went from 127 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodenbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Rodenbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodenbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Rodenbach (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 Rodenbach mean?
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a small wooded stream or brook. 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 Rodenbach (0.04 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 Rodenbach?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.