Explore the Family Name Rodrigo

The meaning of Rodrigo

Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Rodrigo, from ancient Germanic Hrōdrīc, a compound of hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + rīc ‘power, kingdom’. Rodrigo is one of the most important Spanish personal names of ancient Germanic origin. It was borne by the last of the Visigoth kings and by a Christian saint, Saint Roderick, one of the 9th-century martyrs of Córdoba. This surname is also found in and around some of the former Portuguese territories of western India. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Elena, Rafael, Alfonso, Alicia, Angel, Araceli, Benardo, Carlos, Carlota, Cristina, Emilio. Indian Devi, Dileep, Dilip, Gamini, Mahendra, Manoj, Sunil, Tilak.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Rodrigo has seen an increase in prevalence between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Rodrigo was ranked 22,164 in popularity with a count of 1,088 occurrences per 100,000 people. By 2010, Rodrigo had risen to the rank of 19,321 with a total of 1,401 occurrences — equivalent to 0.47 instances per 100,000 people. This represents a change of 12.83 in ranking and a significant growth of 28.77 in the count.

20002010Change
Rank#22,164#19,32112.83%
Count1,0881,40128.77%
Proportion per 100k0.40.4717.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rodrigo

In regards to ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals a shifting demographic landscape for people bearing the surname Rodrigo. The percentage of Rodrigos identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 8.17 to 39.97 percent between 2000 and 2010. Similarly, those identifying with two or more races also increased, rising by 19.46 to 2.64 percent. The proportion of Rodrigos identifying as White decreased by 16.74 to 15.92 percent, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a marginal increase of 0.91 to 39.97 percent. The census reported no change in the number of Rodrigos identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander36.95%39.97%8.17%
Hispanic39.61%39.97%0.91%
White19.12%15.92%-16.74%
Two or More Races2.21%2.64%19.46%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%