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

Rodrigues, 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 Rodrigues surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodrigues in America

Rodrigues is the 1122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodrigues surname appeared 31,280 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Rodrigues.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodrigues 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 Rodrigues

The surname RODRIGUES is of Portuguese origin, derived from the personal name Rodrigo, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Roderick, meaning "famous power" or "famous ruler." The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Portugal and Spain.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname RODRIGUES date back to the 13th century in medieval Portugal. It is believed to have originated from the northwestern region of Portugal, particularly in the provinces of Minho and Douro Litoral, where many bearers of the name can be found in historical records.

In the 14th century, there are records of a nobleman named João Rodrigues, who served as a royal advisor and diplomat during the reign of King Afonso IV of Portugal (1325-1357). Another notable figure from this period was Pedro Rodrigues, a scholar and clergyman who wrote extensively on Portuguese history and geography.

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, several individuals with the surname RODRIGUES played significant roles in the Portuguese explorations and conquests. One such individual was João Rodrigues Cabrilho, a Portuguese explorer who is credited with the first European exploration of the West Coast of North America in 1542-1543.

Another prominent figure was Simão Rodrigues, a Portuguese priest and one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) alongside St. Ignatius of Loyola. He was born in 1510 and played a crucial role in the early expansion of the Jesuit order.

In the realm of literature, Sóror Violante do Céu (1602-1693), a Portuguese nun and writer, is considered one of the most important figures of the Portuguese Baroque period. Her surname RODRIGUES was derived from her father's name.

During the colonial era, the surname RODRIGUES spread to various parts of the Portuguese Empire, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. In Brazil, for example, there are numerous records of individuals with the surname RODRIGUES, including José Honório Rodrigues (1913-1987), a renowned Brazilian historian and scholar.

Throughout history, the surname RODRIGUES has been associated with various professionals, including scientists, artists, politicians, and military figures, reflecting the widespread distribution of this name across Portuguese-speaking regions and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodrigues

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

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

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

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