2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Roderigues
A Spanish surname meaning "son of Rodrigo" or "descendant of Rodrigo."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Roderigues. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roderigues 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Roderigues in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roderigues, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roderigues
The surname Roderigues has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, where it emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic name Roderic or Rodrigo, which itself is thought to have roots in the words "hrod" meaning "glory" and "ric" meaning "powerful." The earliest known use of the name Rodrigo dates back to the 7th century.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname Roderigues can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript containing the life and miracles of Saint James the Great. This text mentions a certain Roderigues de Vivar, a knight who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in Spain.
By the 13th century, the surname had spread throughout Portugal and Spain, with various spellings such as Rodrigues, Rodríguez, and Roderiques appearing in historical records. One notable figure from this period was Afonso Rodrigues, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors in the early 13th century.
In the 15th century, the surname Roderigues gained prominence with the exploits of Diogo Roderigues, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498. Roderigues played a vital role in charting the route to India and establishing trade relations with the region.
Another famous bearer of the name was Gaspar Rodrigues, a 16th-century Portuguese chronicler and historian who documented the early years of the Portuguese presence in India and wrote extensively about the life and achievements of Afonso de Albuquerque, the famous Portuguese viceroy of the Estado da Índia.
As the Portuguese and Spanish empires expanded across the globe, the surname Roderigues traveled with them, taking root in various colonies and settlements. One such place was the island of Mauritius, where a prominent figure named Rodrigues de Cabrilho served as the first governor in the late 16th century, giving his name to the nearby island of Rodrigues.
While the surname Roderigues has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since become widespread across many parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Portuguese and Spanish influence, such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roderigues
Among Census respondents with the surname Roderigues, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Roderigues 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 Roderigues surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino18.3% · 22
- Black or African American4.2% · 5
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roderigues
Roderigues 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+25 bearers (+19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,838 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-32 bearers (-21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,015 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | +25 bearers (+19.7%) | Up 9,838 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-21.1%) | Down 27,015 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 Roderigues 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 | #115,034 | #142,049 | -23.5% |
| Count | 152 | 120 | -21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roderigues bearers went from 152 to 120 (-21.1% change). The surname moved down 27,015 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #142,049.
FAQ
Roderigues surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roderigues?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Roderigues. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Roderigues?
Roderigues ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Roderigues. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Roderigues.
Has Roderigues become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roderigues went from 152 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 32 (-21.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,034 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Roderigues?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roderigues, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.3%) and Black (4.2%). 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 Roderigues in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roderigues appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.5%), Hispanic (18.3%), Black (4.2%). 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 Roderigues (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 Roderigues mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "son of Rodrigo" or "descendant of Rodrigo." 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 Roderigues (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 are called Roderigues?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Roderigues on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.