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

Rodrigue, 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 Rodrigue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodrigue in America

Rodrigue is the 7031st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodrigue surname appeared 4,759 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 Rodrigue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodrigue 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 Rodrigue

The surname RODRIGUE is of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the given name Rodrigo, which itself comes from the Germanic name Roderic, meaning "famous power" or "renowned ruler." The name's roots can be traced back to the Visigothic rulers of Spain and Portugal in the 5th to 8th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the RODRIGUE surname can be found in medieval Spanish and Portuguese records, often associated with noble families or individuals of notable stature. One notable example is Ruy Rodrigues de Bivar, better known as El Cid, a renowned Castilian knight and military leader from the 11th century who played a pivotal role in the Reconquista against the Moors.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure bearing the RODRIGUE surname was Ruy Rodrigues Ribeiro, a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who participated in the conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors. His descendants continued to use the RODRIGUE surname for several generations.

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, as Spanish and Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to the New World, the RODRIGUE surname was carried to various colonies and territories across the Americas. One notable figure from this era was Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer who sailed for the Spanish Crown and is credited with the discovery of California in 1542.

In the realm of literature, the RODRIGUE surname is associated with José Rodrigues Miguéis, a renowned Portuguese novelist and short story writer from the early 20th century, known for his works such as "A Escola do Paraíso" and "Páscoa Feliz." He was born in 1901 and passed away in 1980.

Another notable figure with the RODRIGUE surname is Joaquim Rodrigues, a Portuguese motorcycle racer who has participated in various rally raid events, including the Dakar Rally and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. He was born in 1979 and continues to compete professionally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodrigue

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

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

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

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