Rogers/Rodgers is a patronymic surname of English origin, deriving from the given name of Roger commonly used by the Normans and meaning 'son of Roger'. Variants include Rodgers.
Most genealogists believe that the name Roger is derived from the pre-7th century Anglo-Saxon (Teutonic) name Hrothgar, which means 'fame and spear' ('hroð' fame or renown, 'gari' spear), the first reference to which is in Beowulf, the epic poem of the Dark Ages.
The surname was likely first introduced into England during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. The given name was likely first introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and is first recorded as 'Rogerus' in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was introduced to Ireland when the Anglo-Normans invaded in the 1170s.
The first recorded mention of the surname is in the mid-13th century England. Examples include William Rogger in the subsidy tax rolls of the county of Sussex in 1296, and Henry Rogeres in similar records for Worcestershire of 1327.
The first recorded spelling of the surname is shown to be that of Richard Roger from 1263. This is found in the 'Archaeological Records' of the county of Kent during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272).
The surname is now found commonly throughout Britain (often spelled "Rodgers"), particularly in southern and western England and also occasionally in Scotland and Wales. The surname was also taken from England to Ireland in Cromwellian times.
In England and Wales it ranks as the 77th most common surname. According to the 1990 United States Census, 'Rogers' ranked fifty-fourth in frequency among all reported surnames, accounting for 0.12% of the population.
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