Show ContentsRoberts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Roberts Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Roberts

What does the name Roberts mean?

The Roberts surname is derived from the personal name Robert. This name was originally came from the Old German words "hrod" and "behrt," which mean "fame" and "bright." It was introduced to Britain by Normans during the time of Edward the Confessor, and became very popular. 1 A large number of diminutives and pet-forms were derived from this name in early times.

Early Origins of the Roberts family

The surname Roberts was first found in Kent, where a Willelmus filius Roberti was listed in the Domesday Book. Also from the Domesday Book, 2 we find a Robert the Bursar, Sheriff of Worcestershire, who held a castle at Tamworth, Staffordshire and had holdings in Gloucester, Leicester, Lincoln and Warwick; as well as Robert, son of Fafiton, who had holdings in Bedford, Cambridge, Huntingdon, and Middlesex. 2

In the parish of Lanhydrock in Cornwall, an extensive branch of the family was established man years ago. "The founder of this noble family was Richard Robartes, a wealthy merchant of Truro, whose grandson married a co-heiress of Hender of Bottreaux Castle, and was created a Baronet in 1621, and in 1625 a peer, bearing the title of Lord Robartes of Truro. This nobleman was the father of John Lord Robartes, who lived at Lanhydrock in the civil war. Lanhydrock House is a venerable mansion, which, though modernized by John Lord Robartes, retains vestiges of more remote antiquity." 3

Early History of the Roberts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roberts research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1292, 1296, 1327, 1605, 1609, 1660, 1662, 1675 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Roberts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roberts Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Robert, Roberts, Robart, Robarts, Robberds and many more.

Early Notables of the Roberts family

  • Dr. Roberts, who was a member of the House of Lords in 1660
  • Sir William Roberts (1605-1662), of Neasden House at Willesden, Middlesex, an English Member of Parliament
  • Francis Roberts (1609-1675), an English puritan clergyman, author and librarian
  • the Roberts family, baronets, of Glassenbury, who held estates in both Glassenbury and Cranbrook, Kent

Roberts World Ranking

the United Kingdom, the name Roberts is the 9th most popular surname with an estimated 151,740 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Roberts is ranked the 20th most popular surname with an estimated 53,029 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Roberts is the 49th popular surname with an estimated 5,310 people with that name. 6 Canada ranks Roberts as 76th with 31,895 people. 7 Quebec, Canada ranks Roberts as 918th. 8 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Roberts as 32nd with 685 people. 9 The United States ranks Roberts as 43rd with 380,511 people. 10 South Africa ranks Roberts as 341st with 20,017 people. 11

Migration of the Roberts family to Ireland

Some of the Roberts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roberts migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. John Roberts, (b. 1769), aged 20, British settler convicted at Yorkshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 12
  • Mr. John Roberts, (b. 1774), aged 15, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 13
  • Mr. William Roberts, (1754 - 1819), aged 35, British settler convicted at Warwickshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a horse, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 13
  • Miss Sarah Roberts, British settler convicted in London, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 13
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Edward Roberts, (James), (d. 1854), British settler convicted in Shrewsbury (Salop), England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13
  • Miss Jane Roberts, British settler convicted in Devon, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13
  • Mr. James Roberts, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1791, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13
  • Mr. John Roberts, (d. 1793), British settler convicted in Surrey, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791, may have died on the ship 13
  • Mr. Robert Roberts, British settler convicted in Herefordshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Britannia" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Roberts, English settler convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside on 12th January 1786, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 13
  • Mr. William John Roberts, (b. 1756), aged 31, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall on 14th August 1786, sentenced for 7 years for stealing yarn, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 13
  • Mr. Peter Roberts, British seaman on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Roberts Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John Roberts, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Roberts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Roberts 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:

Roberts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Philip Roberts, aged 36, a miner, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
  • Jonathan Roberts, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
  • Mary Anne Roberts, aged 12, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
  • Philip Roberts, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
  • Jane Roberts, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roberts 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. 17
Roberts Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Edward Roberts, (b. 1609), aged 25, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 18
  • Mr. Robert Robert's, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 19
Roberts Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Alexander Roberts, who arrived in Jamaica in 1780 18

Roberts migration to Canada +

Roberts Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Roberts U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 222 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 20
  • Mr. Zachariah Roberts U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 20
  • Mr. Zachariah Roberts U.E. (b. 1756) born in New York, USA who settled in Queens County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served with Sir William Howe, he died in 1833 20
  • Mr. Stephen Roberts U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 20
Roberts Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • C.S Roberts, aged 32, a gentleman, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Legatus" from London, England
  • Louisa Roberts, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Legatus" from London, England
  • Charles William Roberts, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Legatus" from London, England
  • John Roberts, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Augusta" from Liverpool, England
  • Miss. Margaret Roberts, aged 6 months who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec but died on Grosse Isle on 19th June 1847 21
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Roberts migration to the United States +



Roberts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elias Roberts, who landed in Virginia in 1624 18
  • Mr. Joseph Roberts, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1632 aboard the ship "Lyon" 22
  • Mr. Jo Roberts, aged 46, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the shp "Assurance" 23
  • Blanch Roberts, aged 20, who arrived in Bermuda, (Somers Islands) in 1635 aboard the ship "Truelove" 18
  • John Roberts, who settled in Virginia in 1638
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Roberts Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ellis Roberts, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1703 18
  • Bennet Roberts, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 18
Roberts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edmond Roberts, who landed in New York in 1802 18
  • Brice Roberts, who arrived in New York in 1822 18
  • David Roberts, who landed in New York in 1831 18
  • Mr. Thomas Roberts, (b. 1806), aged 30, Cornish blacksmith departing from Falmouth aboard the "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 11th May 1836 24
  • Amelia Roberts, aged 20, who landed in Key West, Fla in 1838 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Roberts Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. William Vorden Roberts, (b. 1867), aged 37, Cornish miner, travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th May 1904 en route to Montana, USA 25
  • Evelyn Ashley Roberts, who arrived in Alabama in 1919 18

Contemporary Notables of the name Roberts (post 1700) +

  • Kate Roberts (1891-1985), Welsh novelist and prominent Welsh nationalist from Rhosgadfan, Gwynedd, Wales, one of the foremost Welsh-language authors of the 20th century, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1963
  • John Roberts (1944-2025), English musician, best known for his musical collaborations with Tony Barrand
  • Dudley Edward Roberts (1945-2024), English footballer who played in The Football League for four clubs in the 1960s and 1970s
  • Dame Priscilla Jane Stephanie Roberts DCVO FSA (1949-2021), Lady Roberts, known as Jane Roberts, English Curator of the Print Room at Windsor Castle from 1975 and the Royal Librarian from 2002 until her retirement in July 2013
  • Sir Derek Harry Roberts CBE, FRS, FREng (1932-2021), English engineer, two-time Provost of University College London, 1989 to 1999 and then from 2002 to 2003
  • Kenneth "Ken" Roberts (d. 2017), English professional rugby league footballer
  • Martin Roberts (1967-2016), English rugby union player who played for Gloucester
  • Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, PC (1832-1914), one of the most successful commanders of the Victorian era
  • Renee Roberts (1908-1996), English actress best remembered for her role as Miss Ursula Gatsby in Fawlty Towers
  • ... (Another 80 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mr. Michael Seaver Roberts (1932-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Wellington, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 26
  • Mrs. Allison Meryl Roberts (1933-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Wellington, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 27
  • Mr. Bobby E Roberts (1964-1985), American Specialist 4th Class from Fort Worth, Texas, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 27
  • Mr. Wilbur Grant Roberts (1957-1985), American Staff Sergeant from Clarksville, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 28
  • Amanda Jane Roberts (1965-1985), from Bradford who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and she died in the fire
  • ... (Another 63 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Roberts +

  • Roberts-Allen Families by Merritt E. Roberts.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  4. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  8. "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
  9. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  10. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  11. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  12. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  18. 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)
  19. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  20. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  21. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 53)
  22. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  23. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  24. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  25. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  26. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  27. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550

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