Roland

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

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.

Belgium

Latin: ● 1355 Rolandi (gen) AM6 p. 6
Dutch: ● 1597x1598 Roelandt BoonenGes p. 335, Roelandts (gen) ibid. p. 326, Roelant ibid. p. 354, Roelants (gen) ibid. p. 356

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
Anglo-French: ● 1245–1250[1586] Rouland Glover 156
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
Walloon: ◑ 1593 Rolin RWC p. 27

Estonia

Middle Low German: ● 1434 Rolant BbRT p. 356

France

Latin: ● 814 Rodolandus (nom) StVdM-II G7; 937x93 Rollandi (gen) St-Barnard-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; 1364 Rollandi (gen) ActsCharlesV no. 34; 1378 Rolandi (gen) hanquetvol1 759
Old French: ● 1292 Rolant 1292paris p. 2; 1296 Rolant paris1296 p. 10; 1297 Rollant (obl) HistHdVParis p. 136; 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, Rollan ibid. col. 618; 1418 Raoulant DdB1418 p. 214, HGParis p. 388; 1562 Rolant RegPCC-1 p. 16; 1565 Rouland ibid. p. 189; 1567 Rouland ibid. p. 352; 1568 Rouland ibid. p. 366; ◑ 1354 Rolin MHN DLX; 1392 Rolin MemBret-II col. 608; 1404 Rolin HistHdVParis no. 4; 1438 Rolin favier 390

Germany

Latin: ● 1157 Rolandi (gen) quix-vol1 44

Italy

Latin: ● 1099 Rolandi (gen) RCI-Cam1 624; 1164 Rolandi (gen) SDE3 I; 1285 Orlandi (gen) Perugia1285 p. 160; 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; 1285 Orlandini (gen) Perugia1285 p. 160, Orlandutii (gen) ibid. p. 160; 1304 Orlandinum (acc) AnnMin6 XII; 1367 Orlandini (gen) Livi 164, Orlandinus (nom) ibid. 163; 1368 Orlandini (gen) ibid. 204; 1369 Orlandino (abl) ibid. 254

Latvia

Latin: ◑ 1286 Rolekinus (nom) RigSB 1020; 1289 Rolekino (dat) ibid. 559

The Netherlands

Latin: ● 1324 Rolandus (nom) GesOIJ-1 p. 298
Dutch: ◑ 1594 Roels (gen) MagMiddelburg-1560; 1595 Roels (gen) ibid.

Scotland

Latin: ● 1427 Rolandi (gen) RMSRS-2 105

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); 1348 Rolini (gen) MHN DXI; 1352 Roleto (abl) ibid. DXLVII, Roletus (nom) ibid. DXLVII; 1354 Roletus (nom) ibid. DLIX; 1401 Roletum (acc) MHCG2 470; 1432 Roletus (nom) ibid. 479; 1432/3 Roletus (nom) ibid. 480; 1438 Roletus (nom) ibid. 212; 1476 Roletus (nom) ibid. 243; 1502 Roleti (gen) ibid. 275
Middle French: ◑ 1350 Rolin MHN DXXVIII; 1494 Rolet MHCG2 258

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 2019, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2019/1/name/Roland.