Rodney Needham (15 May 1923 - 4 December 2006 in Oxford, United Kingdom) was one of the leading British social anthropologists. Born as Rodney Phillip Needham Green, Needham changed his name in 1947,the same year he married Claudia (Ruth) Brysz. His fieldwork was with the Penan of Borneo (1951-2) and the Siwang of Malaysia (1953-5). He was University Lecturer in Social Anthropology, Oxford University, 1956-76; Professor of Social Anthropology, Oxford, 1976-90; Official Fellow, Merton College, Oxford, 1971-75; and Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford, 1976-90.