The Rhoads Family Name

Ask a genealogist about Rhoads and the first name they will mention is Roads. Name scholars give the meaning as “Dweller by a clearing”. The extra “h” in Rhoads is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Other spellings include Roades.

In the 2010 US Census, 13,389 Americans gave Rhoads as their last name (rank 2,690). That puts it among the top 5,000 US surnames. Names that sound alike, such as Rhoades and Rhodes, are easily confused in old records.

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Rhoads, so the heraldry linked to Roads is a starting point, not an automatic right. Research your Rhoads family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.