Explore the Family Name Roland
The meaning of Roland
1. French, Walloon, German, English, and Scottish: from an ancient Germanic personal name composed of hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + land ‘land’. In North America, this surname is also an altered form of the more common French variant Rolland. See also English Rowland. 2. Norwegian (also Røland): habitational name from any of several farms named Rødland mainly in Hordaland or Røyland mainly in Agder, most of them from Old Norse reyrr ‘heap of stones’ or reyrr ‘rush’ (a plant) + the second element land ‘(piece of) land, farmstead’. Compare Rolland. 3. Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Roland in Lillehammer, with the first element Old Norse ruth ‘clearing’, or Roland in Agder around Lindesnes, with the first element possibly the Old Norse personal name Rói (either a short form of names beginning with Ro(d)- ‘fame, honor’ or composed with a word for ‘giant’ or ‘pagan priest’). The second element of the farm names is land ‘(piece of) land, farmstead’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Roland in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Roland has experienced a slight decrease over a decade. In 2000, Roland was ranked 1752 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had dropped to 1860, reflecting a decline of 6.16%. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people who bear the Roland surname increased from 18,742 in 2000 to 19,311 in 2010 – a growth of 3.04%. The proportion per 100,000 individuals also decreased slightly from 6.95 to 6.55, marking a 5.76% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,752 | #1,860 | -6.16% |
| Count | 18,742 | 19,311 | 3.04% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.95 | 6.55 | -5.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Roland
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Roland. The majority of those with the surname Roland identify as White, however, this percentage has decreased from 73.11% in 2000 to 70.95% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of individuals identifying as Black with the surname Roland saw a small increase of 2.46%, moving from 21.57% to 22.10%. There were increases in all other ethnic identities, including Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with the most notable increase among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (47.62%) and Hispanic (42.24%). Those identifying with two or more races also increased by 20.32%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.11% | 70.95% | -2.95% |
| Black | 21.57% | 22.1% | 2.46% |
| Hispanic | 2.32% | 3.3% | 42.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.87% | 2.25% | 20.32% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.7% | 0.78% | 11.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.62% | 47.62% |
Roland ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Roland is British & Irish, which comprises 47.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.9%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Eastern European, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 47.9% |
| French & German | 23.9% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 23.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Roland
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Roland have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 77.00% |
What Roland haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Roland is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L38 and I-S2606, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ford, Thompson, Shaw, Matthews, Evans, Giles, Edwards, Phillips, Robinson, Owens.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Roland surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Roland have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Roland" Surname 43.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Roland" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Roland" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Roland" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Roland?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Roland are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition