Explore the Family Name Rod

The meaning of Rod

1. German: habitational name from any of several places called Rod, or a topographic name for somene who lived in a woodland clearing, from a derivative of Middle High German roden ‘to clear land for cultivation’. Compare Rhodes. 2. Norwegian (Rød): habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads so named, from Old Norse ruth ‘clearing’. 3. Czech and Croatian: from a short form of the Slavic compound personal names based on the element rod ‘family, relatives’, e.g. Rodoslav.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rod in the United States?

The surname Rod has seen a rise in popularity in the United States, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it held the rank of 19,828 based on the frequency of usage, but by 2010, it had climbed to rank 18,734, reflecting a growth rate of 5.52%. The count of people with the surname Rod also increased from 1,255 in 2000 to 1,465 in 2010, marking an increase of 16.73%. The proportion per 100,000 people saw a modest increase as well, going up from 0.47 to 0.5, or a change of 6.38%.

20002010Change
Rank#19,828#18,7345.52%
Count1,2551,46516.73%
Proportion per 100k0.470.56.38%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rod

In terms of ethnic identity, the surname Rod is represented across various groups, as shown by data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The most significant shift occurred within the Hispanic demographic, which saw an increase from 33.47% in 2000 to 47.17% in 2010, indicative of a 40.93% change. Meanwhile, those identifying as White decreased from 61.67% to 48.67%, a decrease of 21.08%. The representation among those identifying as Black declined slightly from 1.83% to 1.77%. Those identifying with two or more races also saw a decrease from 1.59% to 1.3%. Data for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native was suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
White61.67%48.67%-21.08%
Hispanic33.47%47.17%40.93%
Black1.83%1.77%-3.28%
Two or More Races1.59%1.3%-18.24%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%