Show ContentsRolland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Rolland is from that ancient region of France known as Brittany. This particular name is derived from the old Germanic personal name Hrodlant, which is composed of the Old German elements hrod, meaning fame or victory, and lant, meaning land or territory.

Early Origins of the Rolland family

The surname Rolland was first found in Brittany, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Rolland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rolland research. Another 310 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1268, 1510, 1642, 1678, 1786 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Rolland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rolland Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Rolland is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Rolland, Roland, Rollan, Rolan, Rolend, Rollend, Rollen, Rauland, Raulend, Rolain, Rollain, Raullen, Raullan, Raulan, Rolands, Rollands, Roling and many more.

Early Notables of the Rolland family

Notable amongst this name at this time was

  • Lord Aymeric Rolland, Knight

Rolland Ranking

In the United States, the name Rolland is the 10,168th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rolland is ranked the 85th most popular surname with an estimated 31,546 people with that name. 2


United States Rolland migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Rolland has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Rolland were

Rolland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Rolland, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 3
Rolland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacques Rolland, aged 18, settled in Louisiana in 1719
  • Guillaume Rolland, aged 16, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 3
  • Jacques Rolland, aged 18, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 3
  • Louis Antoine Rolland, aged 26, who landed in Louisiana in 1720 3
  • Joseph Rolland, who settled in Louisiana in 1756
Rolland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hraus Rolland, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 3
  • Bran Rolland, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 3
  • Elizabeth Rolland, aged 15, who landed in New York in 1862 3
  • George Rolland, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1862 3
  • Mary Rolland, aged 55, who arrived in New York in 1862 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Rolland migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rolland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William E. Rolland, aged 32, a quarrier, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Cheapside" 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Rolland (post 1700) +

  • Pierre Jacques Nicolas Rolland, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 5
  • Pierre Rolland (1772-1848), French Brigadier General, named a Baron of the First French Empire
  • Marion Rolland (b. 1982), French gold medalist World Cup alpine ski race
  • Kevin Rolland (b. 1989), French seven-time gold medalist freestyle skier
  • Romain Rolland (1866-1944), French writer and dramatist, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915
  • Michel Rolland (b. 1947), French oenologist
  • Colette Rolland (b. 1943), French computer scientist
  • Pierre Rolland (1931-2011), Canadian oboist, English horn player, radio broadcaster, music critic and music educator
  • Alain Rolland (b. 1966), former Irish rugby union footballer and current international referee
  • George Murray Rolland, English soldier in the 1st Bombay Grenadiers, Indian Army, who was a recipient of the Victoria Cross for deeds on April 22, 1903


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CHEAPSIDE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Cheapside.htm
  5. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 27) Pierre Rolland. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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