Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Rodney

Believe it or not, Rodney is actually the transferred use of an English surname originally from a location name. The surname hailed from "Hroda's island" from an ancient Anglo-Saxon Germanic nickname “Hroda” meaning “famous”. Rodney has been an independently used given name since the 18th century which is why we think of it more as a personal name than a surname. It was bestowed in honor of George Brydges Rodney (1718-1792), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during America’s War of Independence against Great Britain. He was eventually given the title Lord Rodney and the surname took hold as a forename.

All About the Baby Name – Rodney

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME RODNEY

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME RODNEY

Rodney has always been a familiar name in America, maintaining a position on the popularity charts since at least the late 1800s. As we entered the 20th century, Rodney was a name only used moderately, but as the decades progressed, the name became more and more popular and by the middle of the century (1946) Rodney became a Top 100 most commonly used boy’s name in the nation. His peak popularity was mostly during the 1960s and the highest position he ever reached on the charts was at spot #33 (1965). This was when Rodney was at the top of his game. As we approached the 21st century, however, Rodney fell from fashion slowly and steadily. He is now down around low-moderate levels of usage – just as he was about 100 years ago. Perhaps we’ll see this name return to the charts in 2045 if the pendulum of history swings that way. In the meantime, Rodney is no longer “famous”. Most people would agree that Rodney and Rod are both strong, masculine sounding names. And although it’s technically a surname, Rodney does not have that surnamey sound to it (if you like the surnamey sound go with Roderick). Rodney/Rod is a “cool guy” name. There just something confident and ruggedly handsome about this name.

Quick Facts

ON RODNEY

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

624

PRONUNCIATION:

ROD-nee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Famous Island

Characteristics

OF RODNEY

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Rodney

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME RODNEY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Rodney

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME RODNEY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Rodney


Popular Songs

ON RODNEY

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Rodney


Famous People

NAMED RODNEY

Rodney "Rod" Carew (baseball player)
Rodney "Rod" Laver (tennis player)
Rodney Dangerfield (comedian)
Rodney King (victim of police brutality)
Rodney Atkins (country singer)
Rodney Bailey (football player)
Rodney Linderman (musician)
Rodney Stuckey (basketball player)
Roderick "Rod" Stewart (musician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED RODNEY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Rodney

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME RODNEY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Rodney