2000
#20,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Rodda
An English habitational surname derived from the place name Rodda in Cornwall.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,524 Americans carry the last name Rodda. That puts it at #20,243 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 224,904 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodda surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rodda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 224,904
Census rank
#20,243
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,329 bearers of the surname Rodda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20243rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodda, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rodda
The surname Rodda is of Cornish origin, tracing its roots back to the southwestern region of England known as Cornwall. This name is derived from the Cornish word "rho" or "rhon," which means a rough, bramble-covered slope or hillside.
The earliest recorded instances of the Rodda surname can be found in ancient Cornish records dating back to the 13th century. One notable example is the mention of a Robertus de Rodda in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall in 1284.
The name Rodda was primarily concentrated in the parishes and villages of Cornwall, particularly in areas like St. Austell, Truro, and the Lizard Peninsula. It is believed that the surname may have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked on a rough, bramble-covered hillside.
In the 16th century, the surname Rodda appears in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, a document listing those who swore allegiance to the Protestant faith during the English Civil War. This record includes names such as Richard Rodda from St. Germans and John Rodda from St. Martin-in-Meneage.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Rodda surname was Thomas Rodda, born around 1580 in Cornwall. He was a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.
Another notable figure with the surname Rodda was William Rodda (1753-1828), a renowned Cornish mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of navigation and was recognized for his work on calculating the solar eclipse of 1766.
In the 19th century, the Rodda family gained prominence in the mining industry of Cornwall. John Rodda (1815-1882) was a successful mine owner and entrepreneur who established the Rodda's Cornish Clotted Cream Company, which became a well-known brand throughout the region.
Another individual of note was Samuel Rodda (1845-1920), a Cornish poet and author who wrote extensively about the local culture and traditions of his homeland. His works, such as "Cornish Ballads and Other Poems," helped preserve the rich literary heritage of Cornwall.
The surname Rodda has also been associated with various place names in Cornwall, such as Rodda's Town, Rodda's Mill, and Rodda's Croft, further emphasizing its deep-rooted connection to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodda
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodda, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodda bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rodda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 1,105
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 91
- Two or more races4.6% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 50
- Black or African American1.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodda
Rodda appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#20,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,331
+104 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 115 places
2020
#20,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,329
-2 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,191 | 1,227 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,076 | 1,331 | 0.45 | +104 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 115 places |
| 2020 | #20,243 | 1,329 | 0.44 | -2 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 167 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rodda surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,076 | #20,243 | -0.8% |
| Count | 1,331 | 1,329 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.44 | -1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodda bearers went from 1,331 to 1,329 (-0.2% change). The surname moved down 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,076 to #20,243.
FAQ
Rodda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodda?
Name Census estimates that about 1,524 living Americans carry the surname Rodda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 224,904 residents.
How common is Rodda?
Rodda ranks #20,243 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,329 people with the surname Rodda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,524), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rodda.
Has Rodda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodda went from 1,331 recorded bearers to 1,329. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,076 to #20,243.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodda, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rodda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (1,105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rodda (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rodda mean?
An English habitational surname derived from the place name Rodda in Cornwall. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rodda (0.44 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Rodda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.