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Roland Family History

Roland Surname Meaning

French Walloon German English and Scottish: from an ancient Germanic personal name composed of hrōd ‘fame renown’ + land ‘land’. In North America this surname is also an altered form of the more common French variant Rolland. See also English Rowland.

Norwegian (also Røland): habitational name from any of several farms named Rødland mainly in Hordaland or Røyland mainly in Agder, most of them from Old Norse reyrr ‘heap of stones’ or reyrr ‘rush’ (a plant) + the second element land ‘(piece of) land, farmstead’. Compare Rolland.

Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Roland in Lillehammer with the first element Old Norse ruth ‘clearing’ or Roland in Agder around Lindesnes with the first element possibly the Old Norse personal name Rói (either a short form of names beginning with Ro(d)- ‘fame, honor’ or composed with a word for ‘giant’ or ‘pagan priest’).

The second element of the farm names is land ‘(piece of) land, farmstead’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Roland family from?

You can see how Roland families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Roland family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Roland families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 103 Roland families living in London. This was about 25% of all the recorded Roland's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Roland families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Roland surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Roland ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Roland. 43% of Roland men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Roland women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Roland were Incapacitated and Cook.

View Census Data for Roland | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    43%
  • Master Butcher
    29%
  • Incapacitated
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    8%
  • Housewife Unpaid
    4%
  • Cook
    4%

What Roland family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 112,000 census records available for the last name Roland. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Roland census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Roland

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Roland. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Roland immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Roland. For the veterans among your Roland ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Roland military records

You've only scratched the surface of Roland family history

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What is the average Roland lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Roland life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Roland in 1943 was 43, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Roland

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Roland ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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