Birth name

JOSHUA MICHAEL ROGERS
Place of Birth

Texas
Tribal Affiliation

Comanche
Surname Heritage

England / Ireland / Scotland

Rogers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Rogers family have grown. The name Rogers was given to a member of the family who was a fame-spear or one who was a skilled soldier. The surname Rogers was originally a Germanic personal name derived from the elements hrod, or “renown” combined with geri, or “spear;” thus the name suggested “prowess with a spear.” [1] The surname Rogers may have derived from the Old French word Rogier. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The earliest surnames in England were found shortly after the Norman Conquest and are of Norman French rather than native English origins.

Early Origins of the Rogers family

The surname Rogers was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Adam filius Rogeri in Lincolnshire; and Robert filius Rogeri in Norfolk. [2] Kirby’s Quest of Somerset listed Waltero Rogero in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III’s reign.) [3]

Over 100 years later, the name had evolved from the early Latin versions that held either the vowel “i” or “o” to the more recent spellings we understand today. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rollsof 1379 listed Willelmus Rogerson and as a personal name Rogerus Smyth. [2]

The name was “rare or absent in England north of a line drawn from the Humber to the Mersey. Scattered over the rest of England and also Wales, but generally infrequent in the eastern counties, being by far the most numerous in the western half of its area. It is most common in Herefordshire and Shropshire, and also in Cornwall.” [4] This author continues “Rodger is the Scotch form, it has no definite distribution. In England we only find it occasionally, as in the case of Rodgers in Derbyshire.” [4]

From this vantage, we explored the aforementioned “Scotch” (Scottish) origin further. In this case, many of the records were recorded in the Anglo or English version rather than the previous entries that had the Latin form. “Roger was appointed abbot of Dryburgh in 1152. Roger, son of Oggou, attested a deed of middle of thirteenth century. William Roger wastenant of the abbot of Coupar-Angus in 1468.” [1] Black continues “Rodgers is the more common form with Scots. Rogers, in some parts of central Scotland, is pronounced Rodgie, and some Gaelic-speaking people in Perthshire pronounce it Rougie and sometimes Royger. John Rodgers, born in Maryland, 1771, son of a Scots colonel of militia, fired with his own hand the first shot in the war with Great Britain in 1812.” [1]

“The family of Rogers of Home, in Shropshire, are a cadet of the Norburys of Norbury in that county. In 7. Edward II., [(seventh year of Edward II’s reign)] Roger de Norbury, son of Philip, and grandson of Roger de Norbury, had a grant of the estate of Home. His son took the name of Rogers, and his posterity under that appellation have ever since resided at Home. ” [5]

Roger of Salisbury (died 1139), “also called Roger the Great, bishop of Salisbury and justiciar, was of humble origin, and originally priest of a little chapel near Caen. The future king, Henry I, chanced, while riding out from Caen, to turn aside to this chapel to hear mass. Roger, guessing the temper of his audience, went through the service with such speed that they declared him the very man for a soldier’s chaplain, and Henry took him into his service.” [6]

Early History of the Rogers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rogers research.

Rogers Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person’s name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rogers family name include Rogers, Roger, Rodger, Rodgers and others.

Early Notables of the Rogers family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Rogers (c.1550-1618), an English clergyman, a nonconformist under both Elizabeth I and James I; Henry Rogers (1583-1658), an English Anglican priest and writer, attended Jesus College, Oxford (1602) at the age of eighteen; Nathaniel Rogers (1598-1655), an English clergyman and early New England pastor; John Rogers (1630-1684), an English academic from Coggeshall, Essex who emigrated to America.

Rogers World Ranking

In the United States, the name Rogers is the 54^th most popular surname with an estimated 305,901 people with that name. [7] However, in Canada, the name Rogers is ranked the 169^thmost popular surname with an estimated 20,770 people with that name. [8] And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Rogers is the 138^th popular surname with an estimated 273 people with that name. [9] Australia ranks Rogers as 79^th with 30,431 people. [10] New Zealand ranks Rogers as 110^th with 3,905 people. [11] The United Kingdom ranks Rogers as 82^nd with 55,675 people. [12]

Migration of the Rogers family to Ireland

Some of the Rogers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

Rogers migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Rogers surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Rogers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. George Rogers, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship “Bona Nova” [13]
Mr. Thomas Rogers, (1572-1621), who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship “Mayflower” [13]
Mr. Joseph Rogers, (c.1602-c.1677)who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship “Mayflower” [13]
Bryan Rogers, aged 18, who landed in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship “Elizabeth” [14]
Mr. Edward Rogers, aged 26, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship “Anne” [15]

Rogers Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Zachariah Rogers, who settled in Boston in 1712
John Rogers, who settled in Boston in 1712
Sam Rogers, who settled in Boston in 1716
Demetrius Rogers, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 [14]
Jacob Rogers, who arrived in New York, NY in 1751 [14]

Rogers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anthony Rogers, who arrived in America in 1803 [14]
Barney Rogers, aged 45, who landed in Delaware in 1812 [14]
Eleanor Rogers, aged 30, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1812 [14]
Hugh Rogers, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 [14]
Francis Rogers, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1818 [14]

Rogers Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. William Rogers, (b. 1856), aged 44, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship “St Louis” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th February 1900 en route to Granite, Montana, USA [16]
Mr. William Rogers, Cornish settler, from St Austell, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “Oceanic” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11st September 1901 en route to the United States [16]
Miss Minnie Rogers, (b. 1881), aged 22, Cornish settler, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “Campania” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th December 1903 en route to Butte, Montana, USA [16]
Frank Ernest Rogers, who arrived in Colorado in 1903 [14]
Mrs. Clara Rogers, (b. 1866), aged 38, Cornish settler, from Penryn, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “St Louis” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th July 1904 en route to San Francisco, California, USA [16]

Rogers migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: