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

Rodríguez, 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 Rodríguez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodríguez in America

Rodríguez is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodríguez surname appeared 135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rodríguez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodríguez 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 Rodríguez

The surname Rodriguez has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese personal name "Rodrigo," which itself has its origins in the Germanic name "Roderic" or "Roderick," meaning "famous power."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rodriguez can be found in the Cartulario de Cardeña, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 10th century, which mentions a nobleman named "Rodrigo Fernández." Over the centuries, the name spread across various regions of Spain and Portugal, and it is believed to have been particularly prominent in areas such as Castile, Galicia, and Andalusia.

During the 15th century, the surname Rodriguez gained prominence through the exploits of several notable individuals. One of the most renowned figures was Rodrigo de Bastidas (c. 1460-1527), a Spanish explorer who led several expeditions to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America. Another prominent bearer of the surname was Rodrigo de Triana (c. 1469-c. 1528), a sailor who is credited with being the first person to sight land during Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas in 1492.

As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas, the surname Rodriguez was carried to various parts of the New World. In the 16th century, Rodrigo de Quiroga (c. 1512-1580), a Spanish conquistador, played a significant role in the conquest of present-day Chile and founded several cities, including Santiago de Chile.

In the realm of literature and arts, the surname Rodriguez has also left its mark. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the renowned author of Don Quixote, had a close friend and fellow writer named Rodrigo de Cervantes, who is believed to have inspired some of the characters in Cervantes's works.

Other notable figures with the surname Rodriguez include Mateo Rodríguez (c. 1675-c. 1742), a Spanish painter known for his religious works, and Andrés Rodríguez (c. 1770-1847), a Venezuelan military leader who played a crucial role in the Venezuelan War of Independence.

The surname Rodriguez has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Rodrigues, Rodrigo, and Rodriques, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the regions where it has been present. Additionally, it has been associated with various place names, such as Rodrigo (a municipality in Spain) and Rodríguez de Valcárcel (a small town in Spain), further emphasizing its deep-rooted connection to the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodríguez

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rodríguez, 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!