NameCensus.

UK surname

Roderick

Derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning fame and "ric" meaning power, indicating a powerful ruler.

In the 1881 census there were 1,045 people recorded with the Roderick surname, ranking it #3,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,374, ranked #4,389, down from #3,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llanfairarybryn and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Powys and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roderick is 1,435 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.5%.

1881 census count

1,045

Ranked #3,765

Modern count

1,374

2016, ranked #4,389

Peak year

2010

1,435 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roderick had 1,045 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,374 in 2016, ranked #4,389.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,408 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Roderick surname distribution map

The map shows where the Roderick surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Roderick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roderick over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 585 #4,372
1861 historical 534 #4,920
1881 historical 1,045 #3,765
1891 historical 1,058 #3,965
1901 historical 1,248 #3,967
1911 historical 1,408 #3,426
1997 modern 1,366 #4,216
1998 modern 1,404 #4,265
1999 modern 1,427 #4,235
2000 modern 1,430 #4,221
2001 modern 1,376 #4,270
2002 modern 1,402 #4,287
2003 modern 1,396 #4,233
2004 modern 1,394 #4,239
2005 modern 1,380 #4,238
2006 modern 1,369 #4,276
2007 modern 1,377 #4,286
2008 modern 1,375 #4,317
2009 modern 1,414 #4,301
2010 modern 1,435 #4,331
2011 modern 1,390 #4,386
2012 modern 1,384 #4,340
2013 modern 1,403 #4,363
2014 modern 1,401 #4,395
2015 modern 1,392 #4,369
2016 modern 1,374 #4,389

Geography

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Where Rodericks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Llanfairarybryn, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Powys and Neath Port Talbot. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Llanfairarybryn Carmarthenshire
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Aberdare Glamorganshire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 007 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Powys 021 Powys
3 Neath Port Talbot 004 Neath Port Talbot
4 Powys 020 Powys
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 031 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roderick

These lists show first names that appear often with the Roderick surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roderick

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Roderick, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Roderick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Roderick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Roderick is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roderick is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roderick falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roderick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Roderick, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roderick

The surname Roderick originated in the United Kingdom, deriving from the Old English words "rod" meaning "red" and "ric" meaning "power" or "ruler". The name likely referred to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion who held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Roderic". The entry refers to a landowner in Wiltshire, England.

In the 12th century, Roderick de Salisbury was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry II of England. He served as the Bishop of Bangor from 1163 to 1175.

During the 13th century, Roderick ap Gruffydd (c. 1195-1282) was a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against the English forces in Wales.

Sir Roderick Murchison (1792-1871) was a Scottish geologist and the first president of the Royal Geographical Society. He is credited with establishing the Silurian system, a major division of geologic time.

In literature, Roderick Usher is the central character in the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1839.

Other notable individuals with the surname Roderick include James Roderick McIntosh (1827-1906), a Canadian politician and businessman, and Roderick David "Roddy" Macdonald (1928-2018), a Scottish singer and comedian.

The name has also been associated with several place names in the United Kingdom, such as Roderick's Stone in Shropshire and Roderick's Field in Oxfordshire, both of which likely derived their names from individuals with the surname Roderick.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roderick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roderick surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Glamorgan leads with 473 Rodericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.60x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 473 26.60x
Carmarthenshire 137 31.83x
Cardiganshire 100 40.14x
Brecknockshire 64 31.33x
Monmouthshire 43 5.82x
Lancashire 36 0.30x
Staffordshire 36 1.04x
Middlesex 28 0.27x
Shropshire 28 3.17x
Gloucestershire 20 1.00x
Yorkshire 15 0.15x
Montgomeryshire 10 4.27x
Radnorshire 8 9.71x
Surrey 7 0.14x
Derbyshire 5 0.31x
Ross-shire 5 1.78x
Hertfordshire 4 0.57x
Merionethshire 4 2.14x
Northumberland 4 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.73x
Devon 3 0.14x
Wiltshire 3 0.33x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.89x
Oxfordshire 2 0.32x
Berkshire 1 0.13x
Herefordshire 1 0.24x
Inverness-shire 1 0.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.82x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 63 Rodericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.86x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 63 36.86x
Ystradyfodwg 54 34.62x
Aberdare 51 41.78x
Swansea Town 41 28.12x
Llantrisant 33 73.63x
Llandilo Fawr 24 125.07x
Llanguick 24 75.33x
Llanfairarybryn 23 512.25x
Margam 18 90.77x
Penderyn 18 322.58x
Clase 15 22.68x
Eglwysilan 15 48.61x
Trevethin 15 21.51x
Neath 14 38.70x
Tipton 14 13.26x
Liverpool 13 1.77x
Llandingat 13 132.92x
St Woollos 13 15.78x
Llywel 12 272.11x
Swansea Lower 12 132.30x
Caron Uwch Clawdd 11 454.55x
Cwmdu 11 50.76x
Melindwr 11 317.00x
Rhyndwyclydach 11 89.14x
Llanelly 10 10.31x
Lower Ystradgynlais 10 79.37x
Llanddarog 9 292.21x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 9 102.86x
Barrow In Furness 8 4.85x
Broncastellan 8 1632.65x
Carfan Prisk 8 1777.78x
Llanddausaint 8 357.14x
Llangadock 8 67.40x
Llangeitho 8 341.88x
Roath 8 9.90x
Aberavon 7 42.76x
Cardiff St George 7 875.00x
Gwnnws Lower 7 443.04x
Llanarthney 7 107.86x
Llancrwys 7 469.80x
Llandebie 7 56.09x
Llanllwchaiarn 7 106.54x
Loughor 7 74.15x
Middlesbrough 7 5.31x
Oswestry Town 7 24.77x
Rodington 7 503.60x
St Marylebone London 7 1.28x
Trefeirig 7 180.41x
Aberystwith 6 27.97x
Cardiff St John 6 10.33x
Cilycwm 6 157.48x
Coyty Lower 6 51.99x
Darlaston 6 12.59x
Handsworth 6 7.06x
Kirkdale 6 2.94x
Llandaff 6 10.14x
Llanfihangel 6 193.55x
Llanfihangel Nantbrane 6 441.18x
Llantwit Vairdre 6 30.02x
Llanwonno 6 9.39x
Stoke Newington London 6 7.54x
Tidenham 6 193.55x
Vaynor 6 60.12x
Baschurch 5 82.78x
Cardiff St Mary 5 5.10x
Contin 5 98.23x
Darfield 5 54.29x
Gloucester St John Baptist 5 38.64x
Llanrhidian Higher 5 44.25x
Montgomery 5 119.90x
Norbury 5 675.68x
Peterstone Super Ely 5 588.24x
South Hamlet 5 40.36x
Tibshelf 5 63.69x
West Derby 5 1.41x
Willesden 5 5.19x
Ynysawdre 5 174.22x
Newton Nottage 4 81.97x
Swansea Higher 4 21.60x
Ystradvelltey 4 195.12x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Roderick surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 94
Elizabeth 49
Margaret 46
Ann 37
Jane 24
Sarah 24
Catherine 21
Anne 18
Eliza 13
Annie 8
Hannah 8
Jennet 7
Martha 7
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Emma 6
Esther 6
Gwenllian 6
Rachel 6
Gwen 5
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Elizth. 4
Jemima 4
Maria 4
Eleanor 3
Harriet 3
Lizzie 3
Lucy 3
Catherin 2
Elisabeth 2
Gwenny 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Maggie 2
Margarette 2
Matilda 2
Ruth 2
Theresa 2
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Cassie 1
Elinna 1
Elizabth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Winnefred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Roderick surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 75
David 74
William 70
Thomas 64
Evan 24
Rees 17
Daniel 14
Edward 12
Roderick 12
George 11
Richard 10
Morgan 9
Samuel 9
Joseph 8
Henry 7
Moses 7
James 6
Enoch 5
Lewis 5
Robert 4
Benjamin 3
Edmund 3
Llewellyn 3
Noah 3
Wm. 3
Charles 2
Ebenezer 2
Elias 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Griffith 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Benjamine 1
Ebenezor 1
Edmond 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Gwilym 1
Hopkin 1
Hugh 1
Job 1
Nefyd 1
Nehemiah 1
Nicholas 1
Wynaham 1

FAQ

Roderick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roderick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,045 people were recorded with the Roderick surname. That placed it at #3,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roderick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,374 in 2016. That gives Roderick a modern rank of #4,389.

What does the Roderick surname mean?

Derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning fame and "ric" meaning power, indicating a powerful ruler.

What does the Roderick map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Roderick bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.