Rodriguez

Rodriguez is a surname of Spanish origin, formed as a patronymic meaning “son of Rodrigo.” The given name Rodrigo itself derives from Germanic elements often interpreted as “fame” and “ruler.” In Spanish, the surname is written Rodríguez with an acute accent on the i; in English contexts it is commonly rendered as Rodriguez without the accent.

The name is widely distributed in the Spanish-speaking world and among Hispanic communities in the United States, as well as in the Philippines and other former colonies. In Portuguese, the corresponding patronymic is Rodrigues; Rodriguez appears as the Spanish form or as a variant in some families. The surname is common across many regions and professions.

Notable individuals bearing the surname include Alex Rodríguez, an American former professional baseball player who played for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. Beyond this, Rodriguez appears across fields such as politics, arts, and sports, reflecting the widespread cultural influence of Spanish and Latin American communities.

Rodriguez is also used as a place name in various countries. Rodrigues Island, in the Indian Ocean and a dependency of Mauritius, is commonly known as Rodrigues Island and is named after the Portuguese navigator Diogo Rodrigues. The surname remains one of the most common in the Spanish-speaking world and continues to appear in diverse cultural and geographic contexts.