Given name & surname
Rolando
“well-known throughout the land”·“from the renowned land”
Rolando is a variant of Rolanda. In German use, Rolanda carries the interpretation “well-known throughout the land.” Rolando is a variant of Roland. One German interpretation is “from the renowned land.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Rolando is a variant of Rolanda. In German use, Rolanda carries the interpretation “well-known throughout the land.” Rolando is a variant of Roland. One German interpretation is “from the renowned land.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Rolando is a variant of Roland. An origin associated with Roland is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Spanish Rolando, from Old French Roland, from Proto-West Germanic *Hrōþiland.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1916. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Rolando is a variant of Roland. The history of Roland gives this family its wider story. The Chanson de Roland tells of Charlemagne’s follower Roland and his death at Roncesvalles. His devoted friendship with Oliver forms part of that literary tradition; in Italian versions, Roland becomes Orlando. In Italian use, Rolando has a related form in Orlando. The history of Orlando gives this family its wider story. Orlando is the hero of As You Like It. The play provides an English literary association for a name already established as the Italian counterpart of Roland.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Rolando through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 24,516
- 24,438 boys · 78 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 479 babies
- 2025
- 135
- #1,374 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 135 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,374 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 473 in 1994. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (51). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 39,805 as a first name in 2020; 928 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.
Rolando’s family of names
In Filipino usage, Rolando has a diminutive in Rolly. In Portuguese usage, Rolando shares an earlier linguistic root with Orlando. Rolando has a related form in Roland.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rolando has relatives in 10 languages.
6 related names in 10 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Rolando
- Bruno Martins IndiDutch association football player (born 1992)
- RolandoPortuguese footballer (born 1985)
- Rolando MandragoraItalian footballerborn 1997
- Rolando FonsecaCosta Rican footballerborn 1974
- Rolando BianchiItalian footballerborn 1983
- Rolando AaronsEnglish football player (born 1995)
- Rolando VillazónMexican naturalized French tenorborn 1972
- Rolando TuckerCuban fencerborn 1971
- Rolando BlackmanPanamanian-born American basketball playerborn 1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rolando, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Claudio
“one who is lame”
>99% boys
Nigel
“the champion”
>99% boys
Arion
“a poet or musician”
94% boys · 6% girls
Brett
“woman of Britain or Brittany” · “a man from Britain or Brittany”
94% boys · 6% girls
Roldao
—
Rozelind
—
Angelo
“a messenger from God”
>99% boys
Roeland
“from the renowned land”
98% boys · 2% girls