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The short answer
Roland is a masculine name used in English and French. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus." It ranked #608 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. The entry lists its usage as English, French, German, Swedish and others.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Roland ranked #608 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #608 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Roland in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Roland mean?
Behind the Name does not give Roland a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux.
Is Roland a popular name?
Roland ranked #608 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Roland a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Roland appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Roland — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
