2000
#1,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.95
Uncommon Last name
Roland
A French surname derived from the Germanic elements "hrōd" (fame) and "landa" (land), denoting a renowned land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,800 Americans carry the last name Roland. That puts it at #1,941 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,479 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Roland 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Roland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,479
Census rank
#1,941
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,139 bearers of the surname Roland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1941st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Roland, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Roland
The surname Roland has its roots in France, originating from the Old French personal name Rollant or Rolant, which is derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory." This name was popular during the Middle Ages and gained widespread recognition through the legendary figure of Roland, a French hero celebrated in the medieval epic poem "The Song of Roland."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Roland can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, particularly in Normandy and the surrounding areas. In the Domesday Book, a census record commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries mentioning individuals with variations of the name, such as Rodland and Rolant.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the surname Roland was Hugues Roland, a prominent French jurist and theologian who lived from 1088 to 1164. He played a significant role in the development of canon law and served as the Bishop of Autun.
Another notable individual was Philippe Roland, a French poet and dramatist born in 1539 in Normandy. He is best known for his satirical plays and contributions to the literary scene during the Renaissance period in France.
In England, the name gained popularity after the Norman Conquest in 1066, as many French settlers brought their surnames with them. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname in England can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, which mentions a William Roland.
During the medieval period, the surname Roland was also associated with various places, such as the village of Rolland in Normandy, France, and the town of Rolland in Somerset, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling and variations of the surname over time.
Other notable bearers of the surname Roland throughout history include Jean Roland (1675-1736), a French Protestant pastor and theologian; Philippe Roland (1786-1856), a French sculptor and engraver; and Charles P. Roland (1918-2011), an American historian and author known for his works on the American South and the Civil War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roland
Among Census respondents with the surname Roland, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Roland 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 Roland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 12,295
- Black or African American22.0% · 3,998
- Two or more races4.6% · 840
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 740
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 130
Timeline
Historical Census data for Roland
Roland 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
#1,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,311
+569 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 6.55
Rank movement Down 108 places
2020
#1,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,139
-1,172 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 6.07
Rank movement Down 81 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,752 | 18,742 | 6.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,860 | 19,311 | 6.55 | +569 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 108 places |
| 2020 | #1,941 | 18,139 | 6.07 | -1,172 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 81 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 Roland 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 | #1,860 | #1,941 | -4.4% |
| Count | 19,311 | 18,139 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 6.55 | 6.07 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Roland bearers went from 19,311 to 18,139 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 81 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,860 to #1,941.
FAQ
Roland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Roland?
Name Census estimates that about 20,800 living Americans carry the surname Roland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,479 residents.
How common is Roland?
Roland ranks #1,941 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,139 people with the surname Roland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,800), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Roland.
Has Roland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Roland went from 19,311 recorded bearers to 18,139. That is a decrease of 1,172 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,860 to #1,941.
What does the Census say about the background of Roland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Roland, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Roland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (12,295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Roland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Roland (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 Roland mean?
A French surname derived from the Germanic elements "hrōd" (fame) and "landa" (land), denoting a renowned land. 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 Roland (6.07 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 have the surname Roland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.