Rod
Rod is a common diminutive (hypocorism) of various masculine given names, including Rodney, Roderick, Rodford and Rodion.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Rod
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rod is a common diminutive (hypocorism) of various masculine given names, including Rodney, Roderick, Rodford and Rodion.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Rod
Rod first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1910, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1960, when 495 Rods were born — ranking #350 that year. As of 2026, Rod ranks #9,752 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 9K Rods have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Rod
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rod. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Rod
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rod is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rod
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About the name Rod
Rod is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1910 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Rod's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #350. Use the chart and map above to compare Rod's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.