Rohde
A German surname usually from a short form of an old name built on the element for “fame” or “renown,” though it can also reflect the word for “red.”
The #5,043 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,354 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rohde is generally explained as a shortened form of older Germanic given names beginning with Hrod-, the element meaning “fame,” “renown,” or “glory.” In that sense it is related to names such as Hrodo and to the broader name-stem seen in many German surnames. Some scholars also note a possible link with a Low German adjective meaning “red,” especially in reference to hair or complexion, but that explanation is usually treated as secondary or less secure.
History
The surname is found in German-speaking areas and also in forms such as Rhode, Rode, and Rodde. Nineteenth-century surname scholars often grouped it with other shortened Germanic name forms built on Hrod-. In English-speaking countries it is best known through immigrant families of German origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers specifically debated whether Rohde came from a word meaning “red” or from an old name-stem meaning “fame.”
From the historical record
“scheinbar Eigenschaftswörter, z. B. ist Voll schwerlich einer, der immer „voll" ist, sondern es ist das altdeutsche Fulko (vgl. Volkbrecht und Voll- brecht). Auch Rohde kann zwar die niederdeutsche Form des Eigenschafts- wortes rot sein — auf das Haar bezüglich, wie schon Krause; gewiß aber mindestens eben so…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen