Given name & surname · also Germanic
Roderick
Roderick has Germanic roots, with later Scottish and Welsh uses that follow different paths.
Original GermanRoderich
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
Its Germanic formation brings together hrod (“fame”) and ric (“power”).
The story
Walter Scott’s The Vision of Don Roderick helped revive the name in the nineteenth century, using it for the Spanish king Rodrigo. Roderick has also served as an English rendering of Gaelic Ruairidh and Welsh Rhydderch, without making those names etymologically identical.
Roderick through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 47,446
- 47,183 boys · 263 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 1,067 babies
- 2025
- 93
- #1,752 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −37%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 93 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,752 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 37.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,057 in 1971. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 32,175 as a first name in 2020; 6,263 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Roderick’s family of names
In English usage, Roderick has a diminutive in Rory. Roderick shares a linguistic root with Rodrigo. In English usage, Roderick has a related form in Rodrick.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Roderick has relatives in 14 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
21 related names in 14 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 30
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Rorydiminutive · English
- Rodrigovariant · Spanish, Portuguese
- Derickshort form · English
- Rodrickvariant · English
- Roddydiminutive · English
- Rodriquezvariant
- Rurikvariant
- Rodericvariant
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Roderricklikely variant
- Roddiediminutive · English
- Rodnickname · English
- Rodriquevariant
- Rodriguezvariant
- Rodriguesvariant
- Rodriguevariant · French
- Rodrikvariant
- Rodricvariant
- Roderichvariant · German
- Roddrickvariant
- Rodderickvariant
- Rhoderickvariant
- Roddersnickname · English
- Rurekvariant
- Rodrykvariant
- Rodryckvariant
- Roderyckvariant
- Roderikvariant · Dutch
- Roderigovariant
- Roddricvariant
- Rhodricvariant
Across languages 19
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Roderick
- Rod StewartEnglish singer and songwriter (born 1945)
- Roderick MacKinnonAmerican neuroscientistborn 1956
- Roddy PiperCanadian professional wrestler (1954–2015)
- Roderick MurchisonBritish geologist (1792-1871)
- Rory StewartBritish independent politicianborn 1973
- Roderick MillerPanamanian footballerborn 1992
- Roderick StrongAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1983
- Roderick MirandaPortuguese association football playerborn 1991
- Roderick ThorpAmerican writer (1936–1999)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Roderick, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rolf
“a famous wolf”
>99% boys
Theoderic
“people” · “king”
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Fritz
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Chilperic
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Helpric
“help, aid” · “king, ruler”
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Lutz
Lutz is used as a given name and a surname. Lutz is connected with Ludwig.
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Hadurih
“battle, fight” · “king, ruler”
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Fedrico
“peace king”
>99% boys