NameChart

Roland

Boy name

Roland has been given to 101,191 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1924 and currently ranks #608 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈɹoʊlənd/

From Old French, from Frankish *Hrōþiland (literally “fame-land”). Name of a paladin of Charlemagne in medieval French romance. Doublet of Orlando.

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

04569111.367k1.822k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

101,191

Peak year

1924 (1,834 babies)

Rank in 2025

#608 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -1%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Roland

Roland Barthes

French philosopher and essayist

Roland Emmerich

German filmmaker (born 1955)

Roland

Frankish knight

Orlande de Lassus

Franco-Flemish composer (1532–1594)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Roland.

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