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

Roderick, 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 Roderick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roderick in America

Roderick is the 4987th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roderick surname appeared 7,039 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 Roderick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roderick 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 Roderick

The surname Roderick originated in the United Kingdom, deriving from the Old English words "rod" meaning "red" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler". The name likely referred to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion who held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Roderic". The entry refers to a landowner in Wiltshire, England.

In the 12th century, Roderick de Salisbury was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry II of England. He served as the Bishop of Bangor from 1163 to 1175.

During the 13th century, Roderick ap Gruffydd (c. 1195-1282) was a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against the English forces in Wales.

Sir Roderick Murchison (1792-1871) was a Scottish geologist and the first president of the Royal Geographical Society. He is credited with establishing the Silurian system, a major division of geologic time.

In literature, Roderick Usher is the central character in the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1839.

Other notable individuals with the surname Roderick include James Roderick McIntosh (1827-1906), a Canadian politician and businessman, and Roderick David "Roddy" Macdonald (1928-2018), a Scottish singer and comedian.

The name has also been associated with several place names in the United Kingdom, such as Roderick's Stone in Shropshire and Roderick's Field in Oxfordshire, both of which likely derived their names from individuals with the surname Roderick.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roderick

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

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

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

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