Rod is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rod means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rod across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rod has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rod is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “famous”. A short form of Rodney or Roderick.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 8,744 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rod per year, United States (1910 to 2023). United States peaked in 1960 (496/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1992 (3/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (3/yr).
Rod has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1960, when it ranked #777 nationally (given to 496 babies that year).
Reid · Rhoda · Rudy · Reed · Rowdy · Roddy · Rhodie · Reda
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →