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Rohde History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Rohde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Rohde is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rohde family lived in Lincolnshire at Rhoades, but more often than not, the name originates in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 The name literally means "dweller by the clearing(s)" from the Old English word "rod(u)." 2 As to confirm this meaning of the name, another source notes "a topographic name for someone who lived by a clearing in the woodland." 3 4 Accordingly, one must dispel the rather obvious assumption that the name was derived from Rhodes, in the Mediterranean Sea. 5

The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford that was established in 1902, by English businessman and politician Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902.)

Early Origins of the Rohde family

The surname Rohde was first found in Yorkshire. "Roads is a numerous Bucks [(Buckinghamshire)] name. There are hamlets and villages called Rhodes in Lancashire and the West Riding. A family named Rodes or De Rodes flourished for 500 or 600 years in Lincolnshire, Notts [(Nottinghamshire)], Yorkshire, and Derbyshire: they were descended from Gerard de Rodes, a distinguished Baron of the 12th century. " 1

While we can find places named Rhodes in the United States, Australia and South Africa, we cannot find any in England today, nor can we find Rhoades in Lincolnshire. However, a second source notes the Yorkshire reference as follows: "This was a common Yorkshire entry, and explains the large number of Rhodes in the West Riding Directory." 6

As if to help us through this confusion, one source confirms that the first listing of the name was indeed found in Yorkshire as in Hugh de Rodes who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. A few years later, Alexander de la rode was listed in 1277 in Norfolk. John atte Rode was listed in Bedfordshire in 1294 and Robert del Rodes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. 2

Early History of the Rohde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rohde research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1591, 1663, 1664, 1668 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Rohde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rohde Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Rhodes, Rhoades, Rhode, Rhoads, Roades, Roads and others.

Early Notables of the Rohde family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Hugh Rhodes (fl. 1550), an English author of the 'Book of Nurture,' 'born and bred in' Devonshire, a gentleman of the king's chapel. 7 John Rhoades, was an early American fur trader from New England, who was part of Jurriaen...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rohde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rohde Ranking

In the United States, the name Rohde is the 4,891^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 8

Rohde migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Rohde or a variant listed above:

Rohde Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Friedrich Rohde, who arrived in America in 1783 9

Rohde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joh Bernh Conr Rohde, aged 31, who arrived in America in 1814 9
Meta Rohde, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 9
Os twald Rohde, aged 33, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1845 9
Christian Rohde, aged 44, who arrived in America in 1846 9
Jacob Rohde, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rohde migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rohde Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johannes Rohde, aged 4, who arrived in Quebec in 1868
Johannus Rohde, aged 27, who landed in Quebec in 1868
Maria Rohde, aged 5, who arrived in Quebec in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Rohde (post 1700) +

Leonard Emil Rohde (1938-2017), American football offensive tackle who played fifteen seasons for the San Francisco 49ers (1960-1974)
Michael Rohde (b. 1959), American chess grandmaster
Gilbert Rohde (1894-1944), American furniture designer, known for his American modernism designs
David N. Rohde (b. 1948), American Sculptor
David Stephenson Rohde (b. 1967), American two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, kidnapped by members of the Taliban in November 2008, but managed to escape in June 2009
Steffen Rohde, American professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington
Helmut Rohde (1925-2016), German politician, Federal Minister of Education and Science (1974-1978)
Bryce Benno Rohde (1923-2016), Australian jazz pianist and composer
Lothar Rohde, German businessman, co-founder of Rohde & Schwarz in 1933
Klaus Rohde (b. 1932), German biologist at the University of New England (UNE), Australia
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Rohde family +

Bismarck

Erich Rohde (1917-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10

The Rohde Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Robor meum Deus
Motto Translation: Strength through God.

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hanks Patricia, Flavia Hodges, Mills A.D., Room Adrian, The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7)
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details