Roland

Roland - A very unique male name

Roland appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #169. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Roland and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Roland? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Roland. The baby boy name Roland was given to 421 baby boys in 2025, ranking #614 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,483 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Roland peaked in popularity 102 years ago in 1924 on position 98.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Roland, 1-5?

Roland is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Roland is currently topping the baby name charts in Maine at position #198 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #1,007.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Roland is where you live.

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Roland origin and meaning

Germanic

'Famous land' — from hrod, 'fame', and land, 'land'

Roland is the great hero of the Song of Roland, the medieval epic of Charlemagne's knight who died at Roncesvalles holding off an army with his horn. The name was a solid American choice in the early 20th century, peaked in 1924, and has drifted slowly down for decades.

Attested etymology

Roland is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Roland, pop culture references for the name Roland and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Roland

We've found the following names that sound similar to Roland, sorted by popularity.

Rolando / Ryland / Rolland / Rowland / Rayland / Rhyland /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Roland

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Roland a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Roland?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ROH-lund · /ˈroʊlənd/

Around the world

• Rolando (Spanish and Italian) — The Romance-language form of the same name.
• Roland (French) — Used as-is in French, the language of the epic.
• Orlando (Italian) — The Italian development of the same name.

Spellings and nicknames

• Rolando — The Spanish and Italian form used in the US data.
• Orlando — The Italian cognate, a separate established name.

Nicknames: RolloRollie

Famous bearers

• Roland — Hero of the Song of Roland, the medieval French epic (Fictional, c. 1100) Fictional
• Roland Barthes — French literary theorist and philosopher (1915–1980) Historical

Style

LiteraryClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents pick Roland for its chivalric story and steady, unfussy sound — a hero's name that has never chased fashion.

Worth knowing

• Its slow decline gives it a grandfatherly flavour for some, and Rollo and Rollie shortenings feel dated.