Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Rolando

Rolando is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish equivalent of Roland; although it tends to be mainly preferred by the Spanish while the Italians more commonly use Orlando. Borrowed from the Old French, Roland is a masculine name with Frankish (Germanic) origins and made up of the elements “hrōd” meaning “fame” and “land” meaning “land, territory”. Roland was a medieval historical figure and Frankish hero who fought for Charlemagne during the 8th and early 9th centuries (during the Crusades); his exploits on the battlefield were made famous in the epic literary work “The Song of Roland”, a classical 12th century French poem and the oldest surviving major piece of French literature (French: La Chanson de Roland). The legends of Roland and his “song of heroic deeds” were well known throughout the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas where the name was generally adopted as Orlando and Rolando, respectively. The poem was written to inspire a call to arms during military campaigns, most specifically the First Crusade (the Crusades were a series of religious “holy” wars from the 11th to 13th centuries whereby the European Christians attempted to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims). The subject of the poem is a heroic knight named Roland, the nephew of Charlemagne, King of the Franks (French) and Holy Roman Emperor during the 8th and early 9th centuries. The epic deals with the Christian campaign against the Saracens (Muslims) in Spain in the late 8th century. Based on true events (but with typical literary liberties), Roland is betrayed by his step-father and sold out to the King of the Saracens. He and his rear guard are ambushed and outnumbered at which point Roland’s trusted comrade and fellow soldier, Oliver, appeals to his friend to blow his “olifant” (elephant) horn to summon back the main forces. Roland refuses (why, we’re not told exactly but perhaps meant to demonstrate the hero’s valiancy, bravery and hubris – qualities which were considered important on the medieval battlefield). As the losses became staggering, Roland finally blew the olifant horn so forcefully that his temples burst, dying heroically while facing toward his enemy’s land. He was then promptly whisked away to heaven by the angels Gabriel and Michael along with assorted cherubim. So goes “The Song of Roland”. Roland, Rolando, Orlando – no matter which language version of the name – was an important epic hero and Christian Crusader throughout Europe which served to popularize the name. Interestingly, today the name Rolando is most popular in the Philippines, likely due to Spanish and Portuguese influence on the islands dating back to Spanish colonization of the 16th century.

All About the Baby Name – Rolando

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ROLANDO

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ROLANDO

Rolando has maintained a position on the American boy’s naming charts since 1946. The name increased in usage right along with the growing Hispanic population in the United States achieving peak popularity in 1980 at position #374 on the Top 1000 list. Since Rolando has generally and historically been restricted to the Hispanic-American and Italian-American populations in the U.S., the name has never reached super high levels of usage. Regardless, Roland, Orlando and Rolando together have seen solid circulation throughout America in general. The name will always be associated with heroic deeds of medieval legend and so there remains a certain powerful aura to Rolando. It also has that strong romantic Latin flavor that we admire so much. Still Rolando is starting to show more serious signs of neglect as he slowly declines from favor. The name is headed to the bottom 25% of the Top 1000 list as many second and third generation Spanish speaking Americans begin to opt for English or Americanized versions of popular baby names.

Quick Facts

ON ROLANDO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

845

PRONUNCIATION:

ro-LAHN-do

SIMPLE MEANING:

Famous land; Renowned in the land

Characteristics

OF ROLANDO

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Rolando

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ROLANDO

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

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ROLANDO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Rolando


Popular Songs

ON ROLANDO

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


Famous People

NAMED ROLANDO

Rolando McClain (football player)
Rolando (Portuguese footballer)
Rolando Bianchi (Italian footballer)
Rolando Molina (actor)
Rolando Villazón (Mexican opera singer)
Rolando Blackman (basketball player)
Rolando Fonseca (Costa Rican footballer)
Rolando Panerai (Italian opera singer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ROLANDO

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ROLANDO

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