Roland, derived from the Germanic elements Hrod and Land, means "famous land". It was popularized by the medieval French epic poem "The Song of Roland", which tells the tale of a 12th-century warrior defending his country against Viking invaders. In English-speaking countries, it has been used since at least the Middle Ages but has become less common in recent decades.
The name Roland experienced significant popularity fluctuations from 1915 to 1987, with peaks in the mid-1920s and early 1930s, followed by a steady decline until the late 1970s when it began to rise again slightly. The total number of births registered with the name Roland during this period was 362.