A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Rollie since 1880
Babies named Rollie per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1947, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Rollie's real moment was 1898.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 167 |
| 1890s | 175 |
| 1900s | 133 |
| 1910s | 406 |
| 1920s | 512 |
| 1930s | 493 |
| 1940s | 481 |
| 1950s | 434 |
| 1960s | 239 |
| 1970s | 149 |
| 1980s | 100 |
| 1990s | 71 |
| 2000s | 62 |
| 2010s | 80 |
| 2020s | 68 |
Meaning & origin
Rollie is a classic diminutive that harkens back to the late 19th century. First recorded in the U.S. in 1880, it reached its peak popularity in 1898, reflecting the era's fondness for nickname-style given names. After a long decline, the name has been rising in usage since 2001, with a rank of 6,446 in 2025, where approximately 1 in 131,390 newborns received the name. Rollie's trajectory suggests a modest revival among parents looking for a name with vintage charm but without widespread modern use.
Rollie originated as a diminutive of Roland, a name brought to England by the Normans from Old French. Roland itself derives from the Germanic elements 'hrod' (fame) and 'land' (land), giving the meaning 'famous land'. The name was popularized by the legendary Frankish warrior Roland, a central figure in the Song of Roland. In the United States, Rollie emerged as an independent given name in the 19th century, particularly in the 1880s, but has seen fluctuating usage since its peak in 1898.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Roll
Sibling names for Rollie
Names that share Rollie's style, for a brother or sister.
