Roland
How to say it: ROH-lund · /ˈroʊlənd/
From Old High German Hrodland, meaning 'famous land' (hrod = fame, land = territory); hero of medieval epic.
Roland was the 581st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 466 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1920s, its births are steady over ten years, and it is projected to slip to #635 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #581 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 466 |
| Share of births | 1 in 7,114 |
| Peak decade | 1920s |
| Change over 10 years | −1% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #635 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,110 among boys’ names, 20 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
In the 1920s Roland stood at its strongest. Far below that level now, it looks set to ease down a little more.
What goes with it
Low and rolling, Roland feels solid and storied with a literary echo. Conrad sits nearby in style.
Nicknames
- Roly
- Rollie
- Lan
Honouring a Roland in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Roland is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #1,110 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Roland
- Roland Emmerich (born 1955)German filmmaker
- Roland Barthes (1915–1980)French philosopher and essayist
- Roland (737–778)Frankish knight
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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