Rowland
Rowland was the 5798th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 500th; the most babies were born in 1917 (90). Over the last ten years it has moved down 779 places. More babies were named Rowland in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Roland) famous land (Germanic) · Germanic, French
- Rank in 2025
- #5,798 boys, down 607 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 16boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 191790 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,279babies recorded
What does the name Rowland mean?
Rowland is a spelling of Roland, pronounced the same way, so it shares Roland's meaning and origin.
Roland is a Germanic name that DMNES explains as hrōth or hruod, fame, plus lant, land. It reached English through Old French. Its popularity in the later Middle Ages came from Roland, the 8th-century Frankish commander and peer of Charlemagne, who, DMNES notes, appeared in some of the most widely spread courtly literature. Italian Orlando is the same name. Roland has been used in the US since 1880.
hruod (Old High German, “fame”)lant (Old High German, “land”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Rolando, Orlando, Rowland, Roly.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Roland', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Roland' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Rowland popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,798 | 16 |
| 2020 | #5,191 | 18 |
| 2010 | #9,501 | 8 |
| 2000 | #8,948 | 7 |
| 1990 | #3,282 | 19 |
| 1980 | #3,219 | 14 |
| 1970 | #2,489 | 15 |
| 1960 | #1,266 | 39 |
| 1950 | #1,003 | 49 |
| 1940 | #992 | 43 |
| 1930 | #808 | 65 |
| 1920 | #736 | 79 |
| 1910 | #727 | 18 |
| 1900 | #644 | 16 |
| 1890 | #868 | 7 |
| 1880 | #1,036 | 5 |
How popular is Rowland, counting every spelling?
Rowland is a spelling of Roland, a name family that ranked #588 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,798 for Rowland on its own. Together these spellings went to 482 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roland | 466 | #608 | 2,159 |
| Rowland | 16 | #5,798 | 107 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Rowland?
16 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rowland (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Rowland born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 529 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rowland.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rowland?
About 1,800 people born in the US named Rowland are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 31 and 71. That makes Rowland a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rowland: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rowland, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Rowland
What does Rowland mean?
Rowland is a spelling of Roland, which means “famous land (Germanic)” (Germanic, French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Rowland?
Rowland was the 5798th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked 500th; the most babies were born in 1917 (90). Over the last ten years it has moved down 779 places. More babies were named Rowland in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Rowland a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Rowland in the US.