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Rod Family History

Rod Surname Meaning

German: habitational name from any of several places called Rod or a topographic name for someone who lived in a woodland clearing from a derivative of Middle High German roden ‘to clear land for cultivation’. Compare Rhodes.

Norwegian (Rød): habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads so named from Old Norse ruth ‘clearing’.

Czech and Croatian: from a short form of the Slavic compound personal names based on the element rod ‘family, relatives’, e.g. Rodoslav.

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


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Where is the Rod family from?

You can see how Rod families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rod family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rod families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 29 Rod families living in Dorset. This was about 34% of all the recorded Rod's in United Kingdom. Dorset had the highest population of Rod families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rod 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 Rod ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Rod. 72% of Rod women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Rod | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    29%

What Rod family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Rod. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rod census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rod

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Rod. 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 Rod immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Rod. For the veterans among your Rod ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rod military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rod family history

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What is the average Rod lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Rod life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Rod in 1951 was 50, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rod

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rod 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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