First found in the Rhineland, where the name became noted for its many branches within the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied and enrolled by the princes of the region. The name can be traced back to the mediaeval German word Rod-her, meaning "famous soldier." The family moved north from early on, and chronicles first mention the Pomeranian knight Roderus of Rostock in 1282, Henrich Roder of Rostock in 1299, Nicolaus Roeder of Greifswald in 1385, and Conrad Roederer of Ortenau in 1300. In their later history the family became quite powerful and were elevated to the ranks of nobility.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Johannes Roer, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1728. Among the many others to follow this first settler were: Hans Georg Road, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1732.

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