Rod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Rod family

The surname Rod was first found in the Rhineland, where the name became noted for its many branches within the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied and enrolled by the princes of the region. The name can be traced back to the mediaeval German word Rod-her, meaning "famous soldier." The family moved north from early on, and chronicles first mention the Pomeranian knight Roderus of Rostock in 1282, Henrich Roder of Rostock in 1299, Nicolaus Roeder of Greifswald in 1385, and Conrad Roederer of Ortenau in 1300. In their later history the family became quite powerful and were elevated to the ranks of nobility.

Early History of the Rod family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rod research. Another 268 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1556, 1754, 1766 and 1835 are included under the topic Early Rod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rod Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roder, Roeder, Roeders, Road, Roed, Roade, Roede and many more.

Early Notables of the Rod family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rod migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rod Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jeremy Rod, who settled in Virginia in 1630

Rod Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Eliz Rod, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 1
Laurence Rod, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 1
Jacob Rod, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Jacob Rod, who immigrated to Maryland in 1764

Rod Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A Rod, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Rod (post 1700) +

Edouard Rod (1857-1910), Swiss writer
Michael Rod Barfoot (b. 1980), former English cricketer from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium
Rod Oram (1951-2024), British-born New Zealand journalist and commentator
Rod Bernard (1940-2020), American singer
Rod Holcomb (1943-2024), American television director and producer, best known for directing the pilot and finale of ER
Rod Coneybeare (1930-2019), Canadian puppeteer and voice actor, best known for his work on the long-lived Canadian children's program The Friendly Giant
Rod Bramblett, American sportscaster and is the current radio play-by-play announcer for Auburn Tigers football, basketball, and baseball
Rod Bryden (b. 1941), Canadian businessman from Port Elgin, New Brunswick, former owner of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League from 1992 until 2003
Rod G. M. "The Arrow" Hunter (1943-2018), Canadian four-time gold medalist curler and politician, inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 1974
Rod Muchnok, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1996 2

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html