Rodney
Rodney is a toponymic surname derived from the ancient name of the islands off the coast of Sweden previously called Roden, now Roslagen, near Stockholm. In 1138, Walter De Rodeney accompanied Empress Maude from Normandy in her bid for the English crown during the period known as The Anarchy. Walter was awarded the manor of Backwell near Somersetshire for his support against King Stephen.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Rodney
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rodney is a toponymic surname derived from the ancient name of the islands off the coast of Sweden previously called Roden, now Roslagen, near Stockholm. In 1138, Walter De Rodeney accompanied Empress Maude from Normandy in her bid for the English crown during the period known as The Anarchy. Walter was awarded the manor of Backwell near Somersetshire for his support against King Stephen.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Rodney
Rodney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1965: 11,086 births, good for #33 nationwide. About 29% of every Rodney on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rodney ranks #1,179 for baby boys with 176 births, falling sharply (-27%). All told, over 247K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Rodney
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rodney. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Rodney
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rodney 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 Rodney
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About the name Rodney
Rodney is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 247K births in the dataset. Rodney's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #33. Use the chart and map above to compare Rodney's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1965 →
- 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.