NameCensus.

UK surname

Rodman

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a road or pathway.

In the 1881 census there were 312 people recorded with the Rodman surname, ranking it #9,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 339, ranked #13,492, down from #9,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Chiltern and Ythanside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rodman is 392 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.7%.

1881 census count

312

Ranked #9,451

Modern count

339

2016, ranked #13,492

Peak year

1891

392 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rodman had 312 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 339 in 2016, ranked #13,492.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 392 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rodman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rodman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rodman 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 236 #9,174
1861 historical 269 #9,244
1881 historical 312 #9,451
1891 historical 392 #9,019
1901 historical 353 #10,364
1911 historical 341 #10,468
1997 modern 344 #12,319
1998 modern 340 #12,784
1999 modern 338 #12,922
2000 modern 337 #12,901
2001 modern 331 #12,869
2002 modern 330 #13,140
2003 modern 330 #12,971
2004 modern 334 #12,897
2005 modern 333 #12,847
2006 modern 329 #13,044
2007 modern 331 #13,117
2008 modern 337 #13,068
2009 modern 332 #13,458
2010 modern 349 #13,280
2011 modern 348 #13,134
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 339 #13,477
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 340 #13,455
2016 modern 339 #13,492

Geography

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Where Rodmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Dalrymple. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Chiltern, Ythanside, Stockport and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dalrymple Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 015 Stroud
2 Chiltern 006 Chiltern
3 Ythanside Aberdeenshire
4 Stockport 042 Stockport
5 Bath and North East Somerset 008 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rodman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rodman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rodman, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Rodman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rodman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rodman is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rodman is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rodman falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rodman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rodman

The surname Rodman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "rod" meaning "a clearing" and "mann" meaning "a man." It can be traced back to the 12th century and was initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived in a clearing or woodland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodman is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1197, where it appears as "Rodeman." This spelling variation is indicative of the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the name Rodman appeared in various records and manuscripts, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it was listed as "Rodeman de Sutton."

The name Rodman has also been associated with certain place names, such as Rodmarton in Gloucestershire, which was originally recorded as "Radmantun" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that the surname may have derived from a place name in some cases.

Among notable individuals with the surname Rodman throughout history, one can mention:

1. Thomas Rodman (1615-1688), an English settler in Rhode Island and one of the founders of the town of Kingstown. 2. John Rodman (1775-1847), an American merchant and politician from Philadelphia. 3. Isaac Peace Rodman (1822-1862), a Union naval officer during the American Civil War. 4. Hugh Rodman (1859-1940), an American naval officer who served as the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1915 to 1918. 5. Dennis Rodman (born 1961), a former professional basketball player and one of the most famous individuals to bear the surname.

The surname Rodman has a rich history dating back centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the English language and culture. Its evolution reflects the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name throughout the ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rodman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rodman 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. Gloucestershire leads with 83 Rodmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.90x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 83 13.90x
Somerset 36 7.35x
Ayrshire 33 14.49x
Middlesex 33 1.08x
Surrey 22 1.48x
Lanarkshire 14 1.42x
Cheshire 10 1.49x
Glamorgan 10 1.89x
Lancashire 10 0.28x
Monmouthshire 10 4.55x
Essex 9 1.50x
Wiltshire 9 3.34x
Sussex 6 1.17x
Brecknockshire 5 8.22x
Staffordshire 4 0.39x
Hampshire 3 0.48x
Renfrewshire 3 1.27x
Huntingdonshire 2 3.31x
Kent 2 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.63x
Berkshire 1 0.44x
Devon 1 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.30x
Midlothian 1 0.25x
Northamptonshire 1 0.35x
Royal Navy 1 2.76x
Suffolk 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Winterbourne in Gloucestershire leads with 22 Rodmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 666.67x.

Place Total Index
Winterbourne 22 666.67x
Stevenston 17 286.20x
Berkeley 16 481.93x
Camberwell 12 6.17x
Dalrymple 12 839.16x
Bedminster 10 21.72x
Stockport 10 28.93x
Abbots Leigh 9 2368.42x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 17.67x
St Woollos 9 36.66x
Chipping Sodbury 8 720.72x
Mere 8 261.44x
West Ham 8 6.03x
Openshaw 7 41.40x
Shoreditch London 7 5.31x
Walcot 7 26.83x
Croydon 6 7.29x
Dalziel 6 56.66x
Glasgow 6 3.43x
Islington London 6 2.03x
Wraxall 6 645.16x
Clerkenwell London 5 6.96x
Frampton Cotterell 5 238.10x
Hackney London 5 2.93x
Llanelly 5 68.68x
Bristol St Augustine 4 41.54x
Leonard Stanley 4 512.82x
Wednesfield 4 26.46x
Westbury On Trym 4 19.78x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 15.08x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 5.34x
Kilmarnock 3 11.07x
Lambeth 3 1.13x
Bury 2 555.56x
Cathcart 2 15.67x
Easton In Gordano 2 101.52x
Govan 2 0.82x
Hastings All Sts 2 41.41x
Hastings St Mary 2 15.66x
Heaton Norris 2 9.73x
Henbury 2 68.73x
Portsea 2 1.64x
St Luke London 2 4.10x
Thornbury 2 49.02x
Aldershot 1 4.78x
Almondsbury 1 43.86x
Ampthill 1 42.55x
Bedwellty 1 2.57x
Berkeley Hamfallow 1 92.59x
Bitton 1 19.23x
Bradford On Avon 1 11.60x
Bristol St John Baptist 1 181.82x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 93.46x
Bromley 1 6.32x
Bromley London 1 1.49x
Carrington 1 156.25x
Chailey 1 62.89x
Clifton 1 3.31x
Colesbourne 1 333.33x
East Ham 1 8.97x
Halstead 1 312.50x
Huyton With Roby 1 23.64x
Long Ashton 1 41.15x
Mildenhall 1 25.38x
Mitcham 1 10.67x
New Cumnock 1 25.32x
Norwood 1 14.37x
Old Sodbury 1 133.33x
Olveston 1 59.52x
Paddington London 1 0.89x
Paisley Middle Church 1 7.28x
Portbury 1 121.95x
Reading St Giles 1 4.46x
Royal Navy 1 3.23x
Sevenoaks 1 11.88x
St Andrew Holborn 1 9.69x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 23.20x
St George Hanover 1 2.52x
St Marylebone London 1 0.62x
Weedon Beck 1 48.78x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Rodman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rodman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 312 people were recorded with the Rodman surname. That placed it at #9,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rodman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 339 in 2016. That gives Rodman a modern rank of #13,492.

What does the Rodman surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a road or pathway.

What does the Rodman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rodman 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.