Roland
From Old French, from Frankish *Hrōþiland (literally “fame-land”).
Every Roland since 1880 — 101,191 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Roland
Roland is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #608 in 2025 with 466 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 101,191 American babies have been named Roland. Its peak came in 1924, when 1,834 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Roland stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Roland year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 466 | #608 |
| 2024 | — | — | 413 | #664 |
| 2023 | — | — | 414 | #662 |
| 2022 | — | — | 461 | #609 |
| 2021 | — | — | 405 | #668 |
| 2020 | — | — | 490 | #570 |
| 2019 | — | — | 538 | #532 |
| 2018 | — | — | 514 | #545 |
| 2017 | — | — | 534 | #530 |
| 2016 | — | — | 510 | #562 |
| 2015 | — | — | 471 | #588 |
| 2014 | — | — | 438 | #610 |
| 2013 | — | — | 360 | #670 |
| 2012 | — | — | 313 | #741 |
| 2011 | — | — | 302 | #751 |
| 2010 | — | — | 290 | #771 |
| 2009 | — | — | 304 | #753 |
| 2008 | — | — | 296 | #754 |
| 2007 | — | — | 301 | #745 |
| 2006 | — | — | 265 | #783 |
| 2005 | — | — | 277 | #732 |
| 2004 | — | — | 236 | #772 |
| 2003 | — | — | 249 | #733 |
| 2002 | — | — | 238 | #736 |
| 2001 | — | — | 242 | #725 |
| 2000 | — | — | 257 | #690 |
| 1995 | — | — | 286 | #606 |
| 1990 | — | — | 379 | #507 |
| 1985 | — | — | 413 | #421 |
| 1980 | — | — | 478 | #365 |
| 1975 | — | — | 513 | #338 |
| 1970 | 9 | #5,720 | 739 | #286 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,695 | 933 | #244 |
| 1960 | 5 | #7,107 | 1,138 | #240 |
| 1955 | 8 | #4,661 | 1,267 | #202 |
| 1950 | — | — | 1,193 | #187 |
| 1945 | — | — | 1,184 | #158 |
| 1940 | 5 | #4,903 | 1,267 | #141 |
| 1935 | — | — | 1,486 | #119 |
| 1930 | 9 | #3,287 | 1,721 | #107 |
| 1925 | 7 | #4,364 | 1,785 | #98 |
| 1920 | — | — | 1,501 | #114 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,839 | 1,137 | #118 |
| 1910 | — | — | 191 | #163 |
| 1905 | — | — | 143 | #147 |
| 1900 | — | — | 133 | #157 |
| 1895 | — | — | 97 | #161 |
| 1890 | — | — | 68 | #198 |
| 1885 | — | — | 48 | #239 |
| 1880 | — | — | 36 | #281 |
Famous people named Roland
- Roland Military personnel · 736–778
- Roland Barthes Philosopher · 1915–1980
- Roland Freisler Judge · 1893–1945
- Roland Garros Pilot · 1888–1918
- Roland Ratzenberger Racing driver · 1960–1994
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Roland mean?
From Old French, from Frankish *Hrōþiland (literally “fame-land”).
How popular is the name Roland in 2025?
Roland ranked #608 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 466 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Roland?
101,191 babies have been named Roland in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Roland most popular?
Roland peaked in 1924, when 1,834 newborns received the name.
Is Roland a boy or girl name?
Roland is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Roland rising or falling?
Roland has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Roland?
Well-known people named Roland include Roland (military personnel), Roland Barthes (philosopher), Roland Freisler (judge).