Show ContentsRoddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Roddy is of several possible origins. Firstly, it is derived from "Rod(d)" the name of a village in Herefordshire; in this case, the original bearer of the name would have been someone who hailed from this region. 1 Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Old English "roda," meaning "clearing in a forest"; in this instance, it is likely that the progenitor of the name lived in such an area. Finally, the name may be derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name "Rod," which is itself derived from the German "Hrod," meaning "fame." 2

Early Origins of the Roddy family

The surname Roddy was first found in Devon where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Nicholas de la Rodde as holding lands there at that time. Over one hundred years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Rodde. 3

Moving to the extreme south and west of England, we found an early listing of the family in the parish of Northill, Cornwall. "The manor of Treveniel was the property of Sir George Carew, prior to the sixteenth century, of whom it was then purchased by the Spoures; and being included in the bequest of Mrs. Grylls to Francis Rodd, Esq. it has descended with her other property, to Francis Hearle Rodd, Esq. its present possessor. By a custom which had prevailed from time immemorial, the lord of this manor claimed of the mayor of Launceston the humiliating service of holding his stirrup, whenever he mounted his horse on the occasion of the duke of Cornwall's coming into the town. Another manor called Tolcarne, or Talkarne, was also included in the bequest of Mrs. Grylls to Mr. Rodd. This has likewise descended with the other estates, and is the property of F. H. Rodd, Esq. " 4

Early History of the Roddy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roddy research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1481, 1530, 1562, 1588, 1599, 1624, 1634, 1639, 1641, 1645, 1656, 1658, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1743 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Roddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roddy Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rodd, Rod, Rode, Rodde, Rodda and others.

Early Notables of the Roddy family

Distinguished members of the family include Theoderic (Theodoric or Theodericus) Rood ( fl. 1481), a printer of incunabula at Oxford, England.Francis Rodes (c. 1530-1588), was an English judge and son of John Rodes of Staveley Woodthorpe, Derbyshire. "The family traced its descent from Gerard de Rodes, a prominent Baron in the reign of Henry II. Rodes was succeeded in the Barlborough estates by his eldest son by his first wife, Sir John Rodes (1562-1639), whose son Francis (d. 1645) was created a Baronet on 14 Aug...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Roddy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roddy Ranking

In the United States, the name Roddy is the 4,865th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Ireland Migration of the Roddy family to Ireland

Some of the Roddy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Roddy migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roddy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Margery Roddy, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 6
Roddy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Roddy, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6
  • Hugh Roddy, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 6
  • Martin Roddy, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1823 6
  • Hall Roddy, who landed in Texas in 1835 6
  • Cornelius Roddy, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1870 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Roddy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Anne Roddy, aged 35, who settled in America from Leitrim, in 1904
  • Annie Roddy, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States from Manchester, in 1904
  • Bessie Roddy, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Ballajhadereen, in 1906
  • Annie Roddy, aged 21, who landed in America from Ballaghaderin, Ireland, in 1907
  • Bridget Roddy, aged 23, who landed in America from Ballaghaderin, Ireland, in 1908
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Roddy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roddy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Archibald Roddy, aged 60, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Elenor Roddy, aged 60, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • John Roddy, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Ann Roddy, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Daniel Roddy, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Roddy migration to Australia +

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

Roddy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Roddy, English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 7

New Zealand Roddy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Roddy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. J. Roddy, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norfolk" arriving in Wellington, North Island, New Zealand on 18th June 1880 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Roddy (post 1700) +

  • Sam Roddy, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1944 9
  • James Roddy, American politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate from Greene County, 1788 9
  • Ephraim Roddy, American politician, Delegate to Texas Convention of 1833 from District of Washington, 1833 9
  • Ed Roddy, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1912 9
  • Crawford Roddy, American politician, Independent Candidate for Presidential Elector for Georgia, 1972 9
  • Carolyn Roddy, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 2008 9
  • Dennis Brian Patrick Roddy (b. 1954), American journalist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  • Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy (1937-2003), American radio and television announcer
  • Edward F. Roddy, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories
  • Colonel Patrick Roddy VC (1827-1895), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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