Meaning and history
Rowland is an English form of Roland. The Germanic original, Hrodland, combines hrod, “fame,” with land, “land” or “territory,” yielding a sense such as “famous land.” Roland, a commander under Charlemagne, became the legendary hero of the medieval Song of Roland. Notable bearers include English educator and postal reformer Rowland Hill, associated with the penny post, and American film director Rowland V. Lee. Roland remains the more widespread continental spelling.
20062006: 16 births, rank #5,303
2007: 12 births, rank #6,622
2008: 15 births, rank #5,767
2009: 15 births, rank #5,800
2010: 8 births, rank #8,803
20112011: no US SSA record for this spelling
2012: 16 births, rank #5,482
2013: 12 births, rank #6,603
2014: 23 births, rank #4,263
2015: 19 births, rank #4,890
20162016: 19 births, rank #4,943
2017: 22 births, rank #4,466
2018: 20 births, rank #4,739
2019: 22 births, rank #4,480
2020: 18 births, rank #5,041
20212021: 24 births, rank #4,247
2022: 30 births, rank #3,691
2023: 22 births, rank #4,610
2024: 15 births, rank #5,904
20252025: 16 births, rank #5,608
Rowland moved from #993 to #998 for boys between 1955 and 1956. Its highest annual birth count came in 1917, with 90 births.