FastNamesRogers Surname
English, Germanic and French surname meaning "Patronymic surname signifying 'son of Roger', from Ancient Germanic Hrodger (hrod 'fame, renown' and ger 'spear'), translating to 'famous spear'.". Ranked 66th in the United States with 302,261 recorded bearers in the 2010 Census (102.5 per 100,000 Americans).
Meaning and origin of the surname Rogers
Patronymic surname signifying 'son of Roger', from Ancient Germanic Hrodger (hrod 'fame, renown' and ger 'spear'), translating to 'famous spear'.
Historically and linguistically, Rogers belongs to the English, Germanic and French family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "ROJ-erz".
United States Census frequency and ranking
In the official 2010 United States Census, Rogers was recorded 302,261 times, ranking as the 66th most common surname in the nation.
This represents an incidence rate of approximately 102.47 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 976 residents.
Race and ethnicity distribution
According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Rogersreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:
| Racial or ethnic group | Share of bearers |
|---|---|
| White | 75.40% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.62% |
| Black or African American | 18.53% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.54% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.82% |
| Two or more races | 2.10% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.
History of the surname Rogers
Rogers is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Roger', originating from the Germanic personal name Hrodger, formed from the elements hrod ('fame', 'glory', or 'renown') and ger ('spear' or 'javelin'). The name was introduced into Britain by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, rapidly displacing native Anglo-Saxon equivalents due to the prestige of Norman military leaders and landowners.
As baptismal names were inherited as hereditary surnames in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the genitive patronymic suffix -s was appended to designate 'Roger's son'. The surname appeared prominently across southern and western England, with early examples including Richard Roggers in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex (1296) and Robert Rogeres in the Close Rolls of Gloucestershire (1327).
Rogers became widely planted in the American colonies from the earliest Puritan settlements, notably represented by Thomas Rogers, a Mayflower passenger (1620). In American popular culture, it is affectionately associated with humorist Will Rogers and beloved television figure Mister Fred Rogers. In the 2010 United States Census, Rogers ranked 66th nationwide with 302,261 recorded individuals.
Notable people with the surname Rogers
- Fred Rogers (1928–2003), Beloved American television host known as Mister Rogers
- Will Rogers (1879–1935), American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorist
- Kenny Rogers (1938–2020), American country music singer-songwriter
- Ginger Rogers (1911–1995), American Academy Award-winning actress and dancer
Variants and related surnames
Spelling variants
Related surnames
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, Peter McClure. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland (2016), p. 2252.
- P. H. Reaney, R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames (1997), p. 382.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Surnames Data (2016). Reference link.