Contents [hide]

Roger History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Roger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Wales

Similar to many French family names, the distinguished surname Roger is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. As well as the names of the saints of the Christian Church, many of the most common French surnames are derived from personal names of Germanic origin. They derive from the language of the Visigoths, who controlled France between the mid-5th and early 8th centuries. The family name Roget is derived from the popular Old French given name Rogier, meaning famous spear.

Early Origins of the Roger family

The surname Roger was first found in Savoy (French: Savoie) in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where the family has held a family seat since very early times.

Throughout the centuries this ancient family expanded, developed and grew in size and influence. Noble François Roget was awarded the title of Lord of Fesson in recognition of the large contribution to his region and had his nobility confirmed and recorded in 1620. The family moved and eventually branched out to Annecy.

Nobles among this acclaimed family were François Roget and Mathieu Roget who lived in Annecy in 1622. As reward for his extensive involvement in the social, political and cultural affairs of his community, Jacques Philibert was created Lord of Chollex and was mentioned in 1700. Among the famous members of this ancient family was Louis, Lord of Andruéjols and of Roziers. Through his marriage with Isabelle de La Fagette, heiress of the house of La Fagette, the family acquired wealth and fame.

Due to their great influence and participation in the affairs of Gévaudan, descendants of this ancient family were granted titles such as Lords of La Fagette and had their nobility confirmed and recorded till the end of the 17th century.

Early History of the Roger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roger research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1259, 1550, 1617, 1624, 1642, 1665, 1715 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Roger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roger Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roget, Roger, Rogier, Rogey, Rogay, Rogger, Rauget, Rauger, Raugey and many more.

Early Notables of the Roger family

Notable in the family name at this time was

François Roger de Gaignières (1642-1715), French genealogist, antiquary and collector
Estienne Roger (1665-1722), a French printer and publisher who worked in the Netherlands

Roger World Ranking

In the United States, the name Roger is the 4,622^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Roger is ranked the 892^nd most popular surname. 2 And in France, the name Roger is the 61^st popular surname with an estimated 38,118 people with that name. 3

Roger migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roger Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Roger, aged 20, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 4
Symon Roger, aged 20, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Defence" 4
John Roger, who settled in Virginia in 1642
Hugh Roger, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 4
John Roger, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jean Roger, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1700 4
Maurice Roger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
Thebis Roger, who arrived in Carolina in 1738 4
Geo Michel Roger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
Jean Roger, who settled in Charles Town in 1763-1764

Roger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Allen Roger, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
Peter Roger, aged 22, who landed in Missouri in 1848 4
Ouerre Roger, aged 48, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1850 4
Julien Roger, aged 51, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 4
Anna Maria Roger, aged 38, who landed in America in 1865 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roger migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roger Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Christophe Roger, who landed in Montreal in 1653
Louis Roger, who arrived in Canada in 1656
Mr. Denis Roger, French labourer travelling to Canada to work for Arnaud Peré arriving on 17th February 1656 5
Gabriel Roger, son of René and Jeanne, who married Marie De La Cour, daughter of Guillaume and Marie, in Quebec on 30th October 1669 6
Guillaume Roger, son of Guillaume and Élisabeth, who married Ursule Le Vasseur, daughter of Jean and Marguerite, in Quebec on 6th January 1672 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roger Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Louis Roger, son of Toussaint and Geneviève, who married Marie-Anne Benoit, daughter of Gabriel and Marie-Anne, in Montreal, Quebec on 28th October 1709 6
Jean-Louis Roger, son of François and Jeanne, who married Marie-Anne-Barbe Couillaud, daughter of Philibert and Catherine, in Quebec on 4th May 1731 6
Pierre Roger, son of Pierre and Thérèse, who married Marie-Anne Cadoret, daughter of Pierre and Charlotte, in Quebec on 30th October 1741 6
Gabriel Roger, son of Joseph and Marie-Reine, who married Marie-Charlotte Boucher, daughter of Jean-François and Geneviève, in Quebec on 12th April 1746 6
François Roger, son of Jacques and Rose, who married Marie-Jeanne Boutin, daughter of Pierre and Marie-Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 7th January 1758 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roger Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Roger, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834

Roger migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Roger Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Eli Roger, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Isabella Watson" in 1846 7
George Roger, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 8
George Roger, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" 8
Mr. William Roger, Cornish farm labourer departing from Soton on 18th November 1862 aboard the ship "Ivanhoe" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 26th February 1863 9
Mrs. Ann Roger, Cornish settler departing from Soton on 18th November 1862 aboard the ship "Ivanhoe" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 26th February 1863 9

Roger migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Roger Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Roger, Australian settler travelling from Sydney with 2 children aboard the ship "Deborah" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842 10
Mr. R. Roger, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 11
Mrs. Roger, Scottish settler with 4 sons and 3 daughters travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 11
Mr. Alexander Roger, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 31st December 1874 10

Roger migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Roger Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Allian Roger, aged 35, settled with his son, Caleb, 15, in Jamaica in 1684

Contemporary Notables of the name Roger (post 1700) +

Jean-Baptiste Roger de Lacoustande, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 13
Paul Roger Hackett (b. 1947), former American football coach spanning from (1969-2010)
Clyde Roger Vinson (1940-2023), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (2005-2023)
Claude Roger Lakey (1910-1990), American saxophonist, trumpeter, and arranger who performed with Glenn Miller, Harry James, Frankie Laine, Bobby Sherwood, Gene Krupa and many more
Jon Roger Brittenum (1944-2022), American professional quarterback for the San Diego Chargers in the American Football League (AFL) for one season in 1968
Patrick Roger Cleary, American educator, founder of Cleary University, Michigan in 1883
Monsignor Roger Ebacher (b. 1936), born in Amos, Quebec, French Canadian ordained Catholic priest in 1961 and held the position of philosophy professor from 1961 to 1967, Archbishop of the metropolitan region of Gatineau-Hull, author of numerous philosophical and religious articles in magazines and journals. According to 1993 records, he lives in Hull, Quebec. Among his works are "La philosophie dans la cité technique, essai sur la philosophie bergsonienne des techniques," and a five-volume series about churches of Quebec
John Roger Stephens (b. 1978), known as John Legend, an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, film producer and philanthropist. In 2007, he received the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2015 he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for co-writing the song "Glory", he has won eleven Grammy Awards. In 2017, he received a Tony award for co-producing Jitney for the Broadway stage. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his acting role in 2018, he has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) Award
Peter Roger Shergold AC FRSN (b. 1946), Australian academic, company director, and former public servant, Chancellor of Western Sydney University (2011-)
Vernon Roger Alden (1923-2020), American scholar, businessman, philanthropist and the 15th president of Ohio University

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ISABELLA WATSON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846IsabellaWatson.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 27) Jean-Baptiste Roger. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html