The Rood surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,254 people carried this name — #5,560 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 47,200 people counted. That is down 2% from 6,413 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rood surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the rood’.

An early record he cites: Richard atte Reode, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Rudd and Rood.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 658 · public domain.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 65 people named Rood live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Liège 40
Limburg 19
Antwerp 6

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Rood was found among the farmers of Somerset: 9 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

113 families named Rood, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 667 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 32
Vermont 18
Pennsylvania 18
Virginia 13
New York 12
Massachusetts 10
New Hampshire 3
North Carolina 3
South Carolina 2
Maine 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Rood in American newspapers,
1915.

Newspaper page from The Tupelo Journal carrying the name Rood
The Tupelo Journal 1915-07-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Rood in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

5,750 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rood. The most, 970, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,381
Victoria 1,716
Queensland 812
South Australia 353
Tasmania 325
Western Australia 150
ACT (Canberra) 10
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rood.

Who carried it

People named Rood,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alida Gouverneur Ogden Rood
    Alida Gouverneur Ogden Rood 1802–1847
  • Ogden Rood
    Ogden Rood 1831–1902 · physicist
  • E. Irene Rood
    E. Irene Rood 1844–1921 · editor
  • Jan Rood 1710–1800 · artist
  • Oliver P. Rood 1845–1885 · military personnel
  • Frank M. Rood 1856–1945

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Rood,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States566 records

566 records of the Rood name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 196
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 106
  • Other U.S. records 264
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Craig Allen Rood

    Born 1947; from Minneapolis, Minnesota. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank M. Rood

    Born 1908. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts; dairy farmer. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1985, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria Rood

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Charlemagne from Antwerp, aged 23; farmer. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 566 records for Rood in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands5,647 records

5,647 records of the Rood name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2,955
  • Dutch population registers 2,377
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 315
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jacob Rood

    Married in 1909 in Hensbroek; baker. Died 1959 in Grootebroek, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joanna Rood

    Married in 1886 in Maastricht; cleaning woman. Died 1922 in Maastricht, aged 82.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Nicolaas Rood

    Married in 1816 in Warnsveld; day labourer, born 1792. Died 1869 in Eefde, aged 77.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5,647 records for Rood in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada197 records

197 records of the Rood name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 176
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 14
  • Other Canadian records 7
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Rood

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Newbury, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John H. Rood

    Buried in 1937 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 44.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Rebecca Rood

    Died 1866 in Barachois, Guysborough, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 197 records for Rood in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia45 records

45 records of the Rood name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 33
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 7
  • Tasmanian Names Index 5
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Ann Rood

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the British Trident, aged 22; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Rood

    Died 1846 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Rood

    Chaffeur of Malvern, Victoria; died 1908.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 45 records for Rood in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany13 records

13 records of the Rood name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Rood

    From Born b. Cronenberg, Mettmann. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 26 July 1916 (Pioneer Regiment No. 23).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Oswald Rood

    From Cronenberg, Mettmann. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 7 January 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Erich Rood

    From Dor, Mettmann. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 14 May 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Rood in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Rood name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Elizabeth Ann Stewart Rood

    Born 1918 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Bidart (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Simon Johannes Petrus Rood

    Born 1939 in the Netherlands; died 2000 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Rood name in New Zealand Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kathleen Brenda Rood

    Died 1968; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Rood name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. H. J. Rood

    Hampshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rood.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rood is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Rood volume
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