This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
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.

Belgium
Latin
1355 Rolandi (gen) AM6 p. 6
Middle Dutch
1408 Roeland (nom) MPSA p. 25; 1413 Roeland (nom) ibid. p. 27; 1414 Roeland (nom) ibid. p. 27; 1474 Roeland (nom) ibid. p. 49; 1483 Roland (nom) ibid. p. 52; 1487 Roeland (nom) ibid. p. 54
Dutch
1510 Roeland MPSA p. 52 [sic]; 1512 Roeland ibid. p. 53 [sic]; 1513 Roeland ibid. p. 54 [sic]; 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; 1576 Roelandus (nom) AuFr Santvoort; 1586 Rowlandus (nom) RegBeb p. 27
Anglo-French
1245–1250[1586] Rouland Glover 156
Dutch
1590 Roelant AuFr Deckere; 1595 Roelandt ibid. Veltman; 1596 Roelant ibid. Veltman; 1597 Roelant ibid. Veltman; 1599 Rolant ibid. Veltman
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; 1569 Rowlande SurMus p. 143; 1571 Rowland CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1572/3 Rowlande SurMus p. 163; 1573 Rowland RegPat p. 101, StAnthonlin p. 22; 1576 Rowland COmar-vol5 p. 126; 1578 Rowland RegBeb p. 18; 1579 Rowland BUmar-vol1 p. 26; 1580 Rowland RegBisham p. 28; 1583 Roland DEmar-vol2 p. 9; 1583/4 Rowland SurMus p. 28, Rowlande ibid. p. 16; 1584 Roland DEmar-vol2 p. 10, Rowland SurMus p. 191; 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
Middle French
1567 Roland WCS p. 39, Rolant ibid. p. 3, Rollant ibid. p. 3; 1568 Roelant ibid. p. 39; 1569 Rolland ibid. p. 40; 1569/70 Rolland ibid. p. 5; 1570 Rolland ibid. p. 40; 1573 Roland ibid. p. 41
1584 Rolin WCS p. 18
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; 1421 Rolet favier 1191; 1438 Rolet ibid. 550, Rolin ibid. 390
Germany
Latin
1157 Rolandi (gen) quix-vol1 44
Italy
Latin
1099 Rolandi (gen) RCI-Cam1 624; 1164 Rolandi (gen) SDE3 I; 1265x1339 Orlandi (gen) BBC-Berg 588; 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.
Poland
Latin
1459 Orlando (abl) CDP2-2 CCCCXII, Orlanij (gen) ibid. CCCCXII
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: A. Brown, J. Pepe, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Roland". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Roland.