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

Rodney, 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 Rodney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodney in America

Rodney is the 8106th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodney surname appeared 4,089 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rodney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodney 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 Rodney

The surname Rodney has its origins in Normandy, France, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "rondel," meaning "round hill" or "small fort." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a distinctive round hill or fortification.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Rodney can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a Norman noble named Walter de Rodeneye, who held lands in Wiltshire.

As the Rodney family established itself in England, variations in spelling emerged, including Rodeney, Rodenay, and Rodnay. Some of these variations were influenced by the places where the family settled, such as the village of Rodney Stoke in Somerset.

In the 13th century, Sir Walter de Rodney was a prominent figure in the court of King John. He was granted lands in Staffordshire and is believed to have played a role in the negotiations that led to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Rodney (c. 1531-1612), an English naval commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Anglo-Spanish War. He was involved in several important naval battles, including the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rodney family produced several distinguished military leaders. George Brydges Rodney (1718-1792) was a British naval officer who achieved significant victories against the French and Spanish fleets during the American Revolutionary War.

Another famous Rodney was Caesar Rodney (1728-1784), an American patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was known for his daring midnight ride from Dover to Philadelphia in 1776 to cast a crucial vote in favor of independence.

In the 19th century, John Rodney (1789-1866) was a prominent American politician who served as a United States Senator from Delaware and as the Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodney

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

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

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

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