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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Roland m. Old Saxon hrōth, Old High German hruod 'fame' + Old High German lant, Old Saxon land 'land'.

The name of an 11th C king of Galloway and a 12th C saint.

The popularity of the name in the later Middle Ages was influenced by the 8th C Frankish military leader and peer of Charlemagne by this name, who appeared in some of the most important and widely spread courtly literature. Orlando is the Italian form.

England
Latin
1340xc1450 Rollondi (gen) CovGuild-1 p. 6, Roulandus (nom) ibid. p. 57; 1552 Rowlandus (nom) StMartF p. 57; 1563 Rolandi (gen) Chst-1 p. 11; 1564 Rolandi (gen) ibid. p. 11; 1566 Rolandi (gen) ibid. p. 11; 1567 Rolandi (gen) ibid. p. 11; 1568 Rolandi (gen) ibid. p. 11, Rolandus (nom) ibid. p. 11
Dutch
1590 Roelant AuFr Deckere
Early Modern English
1526 Rowland WillsInv LXXVII; 1530 Roland LIWill-III p. 38, Rolland ibid. p. 84; 1544 Rowland StAnthonlin p. 5; 1556/57 Rowland PRThirsk p. 2; 1564 Rowlyn BarnstapleBap p. 13; 1571 Rowland CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1573 Rowland StAnthonlin p. 22; 1576 Rowland COmar-vol5 p. 126; 1579 Rowland BUmar-vol1 p. 26; 1583 Roland DEmar-vol2 p. 9; 1584 Roland ibid. p. 10; 1585 Rowland WAmar-1 p. 109; 1586 Rowland StAnthonlin p. 31; 1590 Rowland ibid. p. 34; 1591 Rowland ibid. p. 35; 1593 Rowland ibid. p. 36; 1595 Rowland DEmar-vol2 p. 33; 1599 Rowland DU-DSMMar
Estonia
Middle Low German
1434 Rolant BbRT p. 356
France
Latin
937x93 Rollandi (gen) St-Bernard-Romans no. 80; c996 Rotlan (nom) CartSavII 6; 1054 Rolandus (nom) StVdM-II 693; 1055 Rotlandus (nom) ibid. 739; 1059 Rodlandus (nom) ibid. 687; 1143 Rollandi (gen) clairvaux-12thc 10; 1147 Rolannus (nom) ibid. 14, Rollannus (nom) ibid. 14; 1147x62 Rollanni (gen) ibid. 55; 1147x1162 Rolandus (nom) ibid. 46, Rolannus (nom) ibid. 55, Rollandi (gen) ibid. 45, Rollandus (nom) ibid. 45; 1153 Rolandi (gen) CartNDSaintes IX; 1163 Rolandi (gen) clairvaux-12thc 99, Rolanni (gen) ibid. 99; 1171 Rollandus (nom) ibid. 140; 1179 Rollandum (acc) ibid. 180, Rollandus (nom) ibid. 175; 1378 Rolandi (gen) hanquetvol1 759
Old French
1292 Rolant 1292paris p. 2; 1296 Rolant paris1296 p. 10; 1313 Rollant Paris1313 p. 27, Rollent ibid. p. 104, Roulant ibid. p. 56; 1327 Rouland MemDocMan-2 p. 193, Roulland ibid. p. 194, Roullant ibid. p. 194
Middle French
1392 Rolant MemBret-II col. 615; 1418 Raoulant HGParis p. 388; 1562 Rolant RegPCC-1 p. 16; 1565 Rouland ibid. p. 189; 1567 Rouland ibid. p. 352; 1568 Rouland ibid. p. 366
1438 Rolin favier 390
Germany
Latin
1157 Rolandi (gen) quix-vol1 44
Italy
Latin
1099 Rolandi (gen) RCI-Cam1 624; 1310 Rolandus (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL; 1376 Rolando (abl) DouGen1 p. 96; 1464 Rolandus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI; 1522x1532 Orlandus (nom) DSF p. 57, 20
1189 Rolandini (gen) ChStBo1 I; 1304 Orlandinum (acc) AnnMin6 XII
The Netherlands
Latin
1324 Rolandus (nom) GesOIJ-1 p. 298
Dutch
1594 Roels (gen) MagMiddelburg-1560; 1595 Roels (gen) ibid.
Spain
Latin
1490 Rhothlandus (nom) carbonell-I p. 48
Switzerland
Latin
14thCx1478 Roleti (gen) Ob-SPVn (176), Roletum (acc) ibid. (209), Roletus (nom) ibid. (10); 1343 Roletus (nom) ibid. (157)
Wales
Latin
1582 Rowlandi (gen) RegCon1 p. 36
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Roland". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Roland.