Roland

“Famous land” — Frankish via Old French origin

Boy's name · #608 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Roland holds its lane: charted since 1880 and rarely far from where it stands today (#608 in 2025). About 101,000 boys have carried it along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Roland's short forms are Lanny and Rolly.

Around the world: #65 in Hungary (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 36 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Rolands

Roland Barthes — French philosopher and essayist
Roland Emmerich — German filmmaker (born 1955)
Roland — Frankish knight
Roland Garros — French aviator
Roland Freisler — German jurist and politician (1893–1945)

In stories & tradition

Roland Deschain — The Dark Tower · The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
Roland Glenn — Prison Break
Roland Daggett — Batman: The Animated Series · The Dark Knight Rises

What Rolands become

Among 4,603 notable people named Roland:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.41× more often than among typical names — e.g. Roland Barthes, French philosopher and essayist.

Similar names: Rolando · Leonard · Royce · Jean · Edmund · Rocco

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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