NameCensus.

UK surname

Roland

A French surname derived from the Germanic elements "hrōd" (fame) and "landa" (land), denoting a renowned land.

In the 1881 census there were 480 people recorded with the Roland surname, ranking it #6,976 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 387, ranked #12,170, down from #6,976 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromsgrove, Trafford and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roland is 480 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.4%.

1881 census count

480

Ranked #6,976

Modern count

387

2016, ranked #12,170

Peak year

1881

480 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roland had 480 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,976 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 387 in 2016, ranked #12,170.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 480 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Roland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Roland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roland 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 261 #8,490
1861 historical 380 #6,726
1881 historical 480 #6,976
1891 historical 417 #8,579
1901 historical 410 #9,322
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 358 #11,977
1998 modern 378 #11,871
1999 modern 367 #12,202
2000 modern 370 #12,078
2001 modern 366 #11,998
2002 modern 350 #12,620
2003 modern 332 #12,914
2004 modern 328 #13,058
2005 modern 309 #13,552
2006 modern 334 #12,912
2007 modern 356 #12,437
2008 modern 354 #12,591
2009 modern 381 #12,174
2010 modern 403 #11,925
2011 modern 382 #12,272
2012 modern 363 #12,592
2013 modern 385 #12,270
2014 modern 391 #12,214
2015 modern 386 #12,237
2016 modern 387 #12,170

Geography

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Where Rolands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Edinburgh and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromsgrove, Trafford and North Kesteven. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromsgrove 010 Bromsgrove
2 Trafford 027 Trafford
3 Bromsgrove 011 Bromsgrove
4 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove
5 North Kesteven 001 North Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roland

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Roland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Roland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Roland is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roland is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roland 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 Roland 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 Roland, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roland

The surname Roland has its roots in France, originating from the Old French personal name Rollant or Rolant, which is derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory." This name was popular during the Middle Ages and gained widespread recognition through the legendary figure of Roland, a French hero celebrated in the medieval epic poem "The Song of Roland."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Roland can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, particularly in Normandy and the surrounding areas. In the Domesday Book, a census record commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries mentioning individuals with variations of the name, such as Rodland and Rolant.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the surname Roland was Hugues Roland, a prominent French jurist and theologian who lived from 1088 to 1164. He played a significant role in the development of canon law and served as the Bishop of Autun.

Another notable individual was Philippe Roland, a French poet and dramatist born in 1539 in Normandy. He is best known for his satirical plays and contributions to the literary scene during the Renaissance period in France.

In England, the name gained popularity after the Norman Conquest in 1066, as many French settlers brought their surnames with them. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname in England can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, which mentions a William Roland.

During the medieval period, the surname Roland was also associated with various places, such as the village of Rolland in Normandy, France, and the town of Rolland in Somerset, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling and variations of the surname over time.

Other notable bearers of the surname Roland throughout history include Jean Roland (1675-1736), a French Protestant pastor and theologian; Philippe Roland (1786-1856), a French sculptor and engraver; and Charles P. Roland (1918-2011), an American historian and author known for his works on the American South and the Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roland 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. Middlesex leads with 106 Rolands recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 106 2.22x
Surrey 64 2.75x
Lancashire 61 1.08x
Durham 24 1.69x
Devon 20 2.01x
Derbyshire 18 2.41x
Essex 17 1.80x
Midlothian 15 2.34x
Worcestershire 14 2.24x
Dorset 12 3.83x
Nottinghamshire 11 1.71x
Leicestershire 10 1.89x
Shropshire 10 2.42x
Yorkshire 10 0.21x
Channel Islands 9 6.35x
Cheshire 9 0.85x
Hampshire 7 0.71x
Staffordshire 7 0.43x
Sussex 7 0.87x
Cornwall 6 1.11x
Kent 6 0.37x
Lincolnshire 6 0.79x
Glamorgan 5 0.60x
Stirlingshire 5 2.84x
Angus 4 0.90x
Lanarkshire 3 0.19x
Ayrshire 2 0.56x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.99x
Denbighshire 2 1.11x
Fife 2 0.71x
Gloucestershire 2 0.21x
Perthshire 2 0.93x
Suffolk 2 0.34x
Anglesey 1 1.18x
Berkshire 1 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.33x
Flintshire 1 0.78x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.91x
Norfolk 1 0.14x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.76x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x
West Lothian 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 22 Rolands recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 22 5.28x
Shoreditch London 19 9.17x
Southwark St Saviour 17 69.22x
St Marylebone London 14 5.49x
West Ham 13 6.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 4.66x
Glossop Dale 12 34.25x
Mile End Old Town 11 14.58x
Plymouth St Andrew 11 14.35x
Appleby 10 806.45x
Shipton George 10 1960.78x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 7.26x
Manchester 9 3.53x
Rotherhithe 9 15.24x
Stockport 9 16.57x
Bromsgrove 8 38.08x
Farnworth 8 23.54x
West Derby 8 4.82x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 7 149.57x
Clerkenwell London 7 6.20x
Radford 7 21.39x
Cubert 6 983.61x
Garston 6 35.84x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 9.74x
Hetton Le Hole 6 33.30x
Spittlegate 6 56.76x
St George In East 6 18.46x
Camberwell 5 1.64x
Clapham 5 8.37x
Coundon 5 86.81x
Islington London 5 1.08x
Kings Norton 5 8.93x
Limehouse London 5 9.53x
Sheffield 5 3.32x
Stirling 5 22.49x
Ystradyfodwg 5 6.85x
Clawton 4 547.95x
Heworth 4 14.28x
Kensington London 4 1.51x
Rawmarsh 4 23.91x
Ryde 4 19.00x
St Botolph Aldgate 4 61.35x
St Giles In Fields 4 24.26x
St Martin 4 46.08x
St Pancras London 4 1.04x
Wigan 4 5.05x
Beeston 3 40.54x
Castleton 3 5.30x
Chiswick 3 11.49x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.39x
Paddington London 3 1.71x
St Mary 3 184.05x
Teddington London 3 27.70x
Barony 2 0.51x
Barrow In Furness 2 2.59x
Burton Upon Trent 2 5.30x
Chelsea London 2 1.39x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.22x
Duddingston 2 15.56x
Hackney London 2 0.75x
Hove 2 5.66x
Ilkeston 2 9.53x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 2 155.04x
Keymer 2 35.15x
Kilwinning 2 17.32x
Langham 2 181.82x
Liverpool 2 0.58x
Llanelly 2 4.41x
Matlock 2 19.90x
Oswestry Town 2 15.13x
Plymouth Charles The 2 4.56x
Portsea 2 1.04x
South Weald 2 24.75x
St Andrews 2 15.54x
St George Hanover 2 3.21x
Tormoham 2 4.75x
Tulliallan 2 54.95x
West Bromwich 2 2.17x
Wolverhampton 2 1.61x
Gt Ness 1 92.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Ann 19
Elizabeth 15
Martha 10
Sarah 10
Eliza 8
Jane 8
Annie 7
Margaret 7
Catherine 6
Charlotte 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Marie 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Eliz. 3
Ellen 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Ada 2
Elizth. 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Charity 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizebath 1
Emley 1
Gwenllian 1
Helena 1
Honora 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Thorsa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 19
Thomas 15
Edward 14
James 14
George 12
Charles 7
Henry 7
Alfred 6
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Isaac 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Michael 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
David 2
Samuel 2
Simon 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Elizth. 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredric 1
Harold 1
Heber 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Jacob 1
Jean 1
Johnnie 1
Josiah 1
Martin 1
Morgan 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Owen 1
Philip 1
Pierre 1
Radcliffe 1
Saml. 1

FAQ

Roland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 480 people were recorded with the Roland surname. That placed it at #6,976 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 387 in 2016. That gives Roland a modern rank of #12,170.

What does the Roland surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Germanic elements "hrōd" (fame) and "landa" (land), denoting a renowned land.

What does the Roland map show?

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