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

Rodman, 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 Rodman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodman in America

Rodman is the 6134th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodman surname appeared 5,585 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 Rodman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodman 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 Rodman

The surname Rodman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "rod" meaning "a clearing" and "mann" meaning "a man." It can be traced back to the 12th century and was initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived in a clearing or woodland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodman is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1197, where it appears as "Rodeman." This spelling variation is indicative of the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the name Rodman appeared in various records and manuscripts, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it was listed as "Rodeman de Sutton."

The name Rodman has also been associated with certain place names, such as Rodmarton in Gloucestershire, which was originally recorded as "Radmantun" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that the surname may have derived from a place name in some cases.

Among notable individuals with the surname Rodman throughout history, one can mention:

1. Thomas Rodman (1615-1688), an English settler in Rhode Island and one of the founders of the town of Kingstown.
2. John Rodman (1775-1847), an American merchant and politician from Philadelphia.
3. Isaac Peace Rodman (1822-1862), a Union naval officer during the American Civil War.
4. Hugh Rodman (1859-1940), an American naval officer who served as the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1915 to 1918.
5. Dennis Rodman (born 1961), a former professional basketball player and one of the most famous individuals to bear the surname.

The surname Rodman has a rich history dating back centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the English language and culture. Its evolution reflects the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!