Rokester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo Saxon England, the Rokester family lived in the region of Rochester in Kent. Rokester is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

The variants Register and Rogister are "derived from an official title, 'the registrar,' a recorder from the Middle English registrere," 1 and is generally thought to be variants of the name Rochester. 2 3

Early Origins of the Rokester family

The surname Rokester was first found in Kent where the name was first recorded by Bede (c. 730) under the names of Dorubrevi and Hrofoecoestre. The first reference refers to the Briton name that was derived from "duro" meaning "fortress" or "bridge" while the second reference is derived from the Old English word for "roof" 4.

Early Essex records reveal Turoldus (de) Rouecestra recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 5 and Robert Rouchestre listed in the Assize Roll of Essex in 1377. 3

Solomon de Rochester (died 1294) was an English "judge, was a native of Rochester, whence he took his name. His brother Gilbert held the living of Tong in Kent. Solomon took orders, and was apparently employed by Henry III in a legal capacity. In 1274 he was appointed justice in eyre for Middlesex, and in the following year for Worcestershire." 6

Today Rochester is a town in Kent which dates back to before 43 AD, named Durobrivae by the Romans. Rochester Castle stands on grounds that have been fortified since the Roman arrival. The Norman keep that was built in 1127 still stands majestically today. Rochester is also a small village in Northumberland and Staffordshire. "This parish, anciently called Rocetter, or Roucestre, comprises about 2370 acres." 7

Early History of the Rokester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rokester research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1494 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Rokester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rokester Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Rokester has undergone many spelling variations, including Rochester, Roccester, Wrocester, Wrochester, Register and many more.

Early Notables of the Rokester family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Robert Rochester (c. 1494-1557), English comptroller of the household to Queen Mary, eldest of the three sons of John Rochester, by his wife...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rokester Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rokester family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Rokester were among those contributors: John Rochester settled in Virginia in 1638; Elizabeth Rochester settled in Maryland in 1677.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.