Roland
/ˈroʊ.lənd/noun
A masculine given name and historical/literary name, especially associated with the medieval hero of French epic tradition.
Did you know?Roland became immortal in the medieval epic *The Song of Roland*, where the name helped turn a real Frankish figure into a symbol of heroic sacrifice and Christian warfare.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Hrōþilandaz
“A compound personal name, roughly ‘fame-land’ or ‘famous land’”
Early Germanic
Germanic
*Hrōþiland
“A hereditary personal name built from elements meaning ‘fame’ and ‘land’”
Old French
Old French
Rolant
“The French form of the Germanic name, used for the heroic knight of epic tradition”
12th Century
Old French / Latin
Roland
“The legendary paladin of Charlemagne in *La Chanson de Roland*”
Modern English
English
Roland
“A masculine given name, and by extension a literary and historical name”