Roland is a distinctive choice, ranked #1132 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Roland in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#1132
US Rank #663
About the Name Roland
Roland is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 98 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #818 in 1996 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Roland is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #663, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Roland
Unlikely. With around 25 UK babies named Roland per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Roland in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Roland is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 98 places over the last five years to #1132 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Roland is more popular in the US (#663) than in the UK (#1132). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Roland include: Isabella Roland — Isabella "Izzy" Roland is an American actress and comedian.; Roland Dupree — Roland Dupree was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer.; Roland MC-303 — The Roland MC-303 is the first of a series of musical instruments known as a groovebox..
Roland ranks #663 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
25
UK babies named Roland (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 98 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Roland
Likely around 1 other Roland in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Roland
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros was a French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot. Garros began a career in aviation in 1909 and performed many early feats such as the first-ever airplane crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in 1913.
Jeanne Marie "Manon" Roland de la Platière, born Jeanne Marie Phlipon, and best known under the name Madame Roland was a French revolutionary, salonnière and writer. From a young age Roland was interested in philosophy and political theory and studied a broad range of writers and thinkers.
Karl Roland Freisler was a German jurist, judge, and politician who served as the State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice from 1935 to 1942 and as president of the People's Court from 1942 to 1945. As a prominent ideologist of Nazism, he influenced as a jurist the Nazification of the German legal system.
Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. His work engaged in the analysis of a variety of sign systems, mainly derived from Western popular culture.
Walter Roland was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist, guitarist and singer, noted for his association with Lucille Bogan, Josh White and Sonny Scott. The music journalist Gérard Herzhaft stated that Roland was "a great piano player...
Roland (French pronunciation: [ʁɔ.lɑ̃]; Old Frankish: *Hrōþiland; Medieval Latin: Hruodlandus or Rotholandus; Italian: Orlando or Rolando; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became an epic hero and one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was military governor of the Breton March, responsible for defending Francia's frontier against the Bretons.
Roland Dupree was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He is best known for founding the Roland Dupree Dance Academy and his work as the action model for Walt Disney's Peter Pan.
The Roland MC-303 is the first of a series of musical instruments known as a groovebox. It combines a simple sound module with a sequencer to record and store notation, along with controls aimed at encouraging the musician to improvise the music while it is playing.