Roberts (surname)

Roberts is a surname of Norman origin, deriving from the Norman given name Robert, meaning "bright renown" – from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning renown and "beraht" meaning bright. Roberts may mean either "servant of Robert" or "son of Robert"; the latter is more common in Wales, while the former is more common in England. Although the name Robert was known in the British isles before the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was mainly introduced into Britain by the Normans. Today the surname Roberts is common in England, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man, with the biggest concentration by far occurring in North Wales. In colloquial North-Walian Welsh "Roberts" is often pronounced as "Robaits". The name is also common in Scotland.