Roland

Roland: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “famous land”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: ROH-lənd · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Germanic elements usually interpreted as 'fame' and 'land'. It is well known from the medieval epic hero Roland, giving it strong literary and historical associations.

French names English names German names Classic names Literary names International names

How popular is Roland?

2024124 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Roland in 2024413

2024 rank#663 boys

Peak year1931

Total US babies since 1880100,726

Roland is steady now but far below its 1931 peak.

Names like Roland

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Orlandofamous land · Italian
Rolandofamous land · Germanic
Rollandfamous land · French
Williamresolute protector · Germanic
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic
Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
Robertbright fame · Germanic

Roland questions

What does the name Roland mean?

Roland means "famous land". It comes from Germanic. From Germanic elements usually interpreted as 'fame' and 'land'. It is well known from the medieval epic hero Roland, giving it strong literary and historical associations.

Is Roland a boy or girl name?

Roland is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Roland?

413 US babies were named Roland in 2024. Its peak year was 1931.

How do you pronounce Roland?

Roland is usually pronounced ROH-lənd.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.