NameCensus.

UK surname

Roger

An occupational surname referring to a spearman or a military flag bearer.

In the 1881 census there were 1,037 people recorded with the Roger surname, ranking it #3,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 996, ranked #5,817, down from #3,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Clober and Mains Estate, Rosehearty and Strathbeg and Lhanbryde, Urquhart, Pitgavney and seaward.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roger is 2,256 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.0%.

1881 census count

1,037

Ranked #3,787

Modern count

996

2016, ranked #5,817

Peak year

1861

2,256 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roger had 1,037 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 996 in 2016, ranked #5,817.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,256 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Roger surname distribution map

The map shows where the Roger surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Roger surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roger over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,456 #1,973
1861 historical 2,256 #1,302
1881 historical 1,037 #3,787
1891 historical 1,832 #2,507
1901 historical 1,095 #4,407
1911 historical 667 #6,311
1997 modern 870 #6,129
1998 modern 933 #5,993
1999 modern 944 #5,980
2000 modern 924 #6,062
2001 modern 771 #6,835
2002 modern 823 #6,623
2003 modern 812 #6,575
2004 modern 824 #6,507
2005 modern 840 #6,356
2006 modern 844 #6,355
2007 modern 876 #6,221
2008 modern 875 #6,263
2009 modern 879 #6,387
2010 modern 946 #6,141
2011 modern 908 #6,281
2012 modern 896 #6,271
2013 modern 929 #6,201
2014 modern 959 #6,081
2015 modern 971 #5,953
2016 modern 996 #5,817

Geography

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Where Rogers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Llangafelach. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Clober and Mains Estate, Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Lhanbryde, Urquhart, Pitgavney and seaward, Ryedale and Crail and Boarhills. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Llangafelach Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Clober and Mains Estate East Dunbartonshire
2 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
3 Lhanbryde, Urquhart, Pitgavney and seaward Moray
4 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
5 Crail and Boarhills Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roger

These lists show first names that appear often with the Roger surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roger

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Roger, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Roger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Roger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Roger is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roger is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roger falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roger is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Roger, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roger

The surname Roger originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old French personal name "Roger," which is composed of the Germanic elements "hrod" (meaning "renown") and "ger" (meaning "spear").

In medieval times, the Roger surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Shropshire, England, where many early bearers of the name were landowners and nobles. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Roger de Bully is listed as a landowner in Shropshire.

Over the centuries, the Roger surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Rodger, Rogger, and Rager. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the quirks of individual scribes who recorded the name in official documents.

One of the most notable early bearers of the Roger surname was Roger de Mortimer, a powerful English nobleman who played a significant role in the overthrow of King Edward II in the 14th century. Born around 1286, Roger de Mortimer became the de facto ruler of England during the minority of Edward III, before being executed for treason in 1330.

In the 15th century, Sir John Roger was a prominent English soldier who served in the Wars of the Roses. He fought alongside the Yorkist forces and was rewarded with lands in Somersetshire after the victory of Edward IV.

During the Tudor period, another notable figure was John Rogers, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 for his religious beliefs. Rogers, who was born around 1500, played a key role in translating the Bible into English under the patronage of Thomas Cromwell.

In the 17th century, Samuel Rogers, born in 1763, was an influential English poet and banker. His works, including the narrative poem "The Pleasures of Memory," earned him widespread acclaim and a place among the leading literary figures of his time.

Throughout history, the Roger surname has been associated with various place names, such as Rogers Croft in Northamptonshire and Roger's Green in Gloucestershire, reflecting the influence and landholdings of prominent families bearing the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roger surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Aberdeenshire leads with 161 Rogers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.32x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 161 17.32x
Middlesex 90 0.90x
Angus 82 8.82x
Lanarkshire 75 2.31x
Yorkshire 68 0.68x
Fife 66 11.11x
Lancashire 55 0.46x
Glamorgan 45 2.57x
Midlothian 43 3.20x
Perthshire 25 5.55x
Surrey 24 0.49x
Banffshire 23 11.05x
Carmarthenshire 23 5.44x
Essex 22 1.11x
Ayrshire 19 2.53x
Channel Islands 16 5.38x
Gloucestershire 12 0.61x
Renfrewshire 12 1.54x
Kincardineshire 11 9.00x
Cumberland 10 1.16x
Staffordshire 10 0.30x
Roxburghshire 8 4.40x
Devon 7 0.34x
Hampshire 7 0.34x
Kent 7 0.20x
Dumfriesshire 6 2.71x
Morayshire 6 3.85x
Wigtownshire 6 4.50x
Cheshire 5 0.23x
Dorset 5 0.76x
Northumberland 5 0.33x
Somerset 5 0.31x
Warwickshire 5 0.20x
Berkshire 4 0.53x
Berwickshire 4 3.29x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.48x
Durham 4 0.13x
Leicestershire 4 0.36x
Peeblesshire 4 8.47x
Selkirkshire 4 4.40x
Derbyshire 3 0.19x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.94x
Rutland 3 4.07x
Sussex 3 0.18x
Anglesey 2 1.12x
Cornwall 2 0.18x
East Lothian 2 1.50x
Inverness-shire 2 0.67x
Norfolk 2 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.15x
Argyllshire 1 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.21x
Denbighshire 1 0.26x
Flintshire 1 0.37x
Herefordshire 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Monmouthshire 1 0.14x
Oxfordshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.84x
Stirlingshire 1 0.27x
Wiltshire 1 0.11x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 37 Rogers recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.66x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 37 10.66x
Barony 29 3.53x
Aberdeen Old Machar 28 14.43x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 22 12.65x
Forgan 19 166.96x
Liff Benvie 18 12.75x
Strichen 17 210.40x
Clase 15 23.08x
Govan 15 1.87x
Battersea 13 3.52x
St Pancras London 13 1.61x
Llandilo Talybont 12 130.72x
Old Deer 12 68.10x
St Peter Port 12 21.81x
Dysart 11 27.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 2.03x
Hunslet 11 7.09x
Llanwinio 11 360.66x
New Deer 11 65.36x
Crimond 10 349.65x
St Andrews 10 36.98x
Banff 9 49.78x
Blatchinworth 9 33.19x
Cirencester 9 33.77x
Dalziel 9 25.77x
Keith 9 40.54x
Monifieth 9 27.40x
Benholm 8 152.38x
Caputh 8 112.84x
Castleton 8 102.43x
Ebberston 8 394.09x
Fenwick 8 201.01x
Hampstead London 8 5.12x
Kingsbarns 8 293.04x
Lasswade 8 26.02x
Paddington London 8 2.17x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 7.81x
Chrishall 7 355.33x
Glasgow 7 1.21x
Hammersmith London 7 2.83x
Insch 7 132.33x
Islington London 7 0.72x
Llanelly 7 7.35x
Monkton Prestwick 7 95.76x
Perth Middle Church 7 41.32x
Port Glasgow 7 18.61x
Rathen 7 71.87x
Rotherham 7 12.48x
Ynisymond 7 482.76x
Ferry Port On Craig 6 61.35x
Kilconquhar 6 84.87x
Kirriemuir 6 26.16x
Knockando 6 94.64x
Longside 6 54.05x
Manchester 6 1.12x
Pudsey 6 11.28x
Rhynie 6 155.04x
West Ham 6 1.37x
Whitechapel London 6 6.06x
Bowling 5 5.08x
Dalserf 5 15.44x
Glaisdale 5 131.93x
Huntly 5 33.07x
Inverurie 5 47.57x
Kintore 5 61.88x
Mains 5 63.29x
South Leith 5 3.30x
St Marylebone London 5 0.93x
Toxteth Park 5 1.24x
Wigan 5 3.00x
Windle 5 7.46x
Workington 5 10.11x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 4 12.57x
Holbeton 4 104.44x
Little Dunkeld 4 52.36x
Montrose 4 7.10x
Poole St James 4 16.16x
Thornaby 4 10.76x
Westminster St 4 10.81x
Westminster St James 4 3.88x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Roger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 43
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 13
Jane 12
Ann 11
Hannah 8
Margaret 8
Alice 6
Harriet 6
Catherine 5
Jessie 5
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Lucy 4
Rachel 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Florence 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Margret 3
Martha 3
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Marie 2
S. 2
Agusta 1
Angelina 1
Betsy 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Elanor 1
Eliz. 1
Emma 1
Eugenie 1
Francis 1
Hellen 1
Henrietta 1
Hephzibah 1
Jeanie 1
Joyce 1
Keziah 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Roger surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 29
William 26
George 13
James 13
Thomas 12
David 11
Robert 8
Charles 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
Francis 6
Joseph 5
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Timothy 3
Alexander 2
Amos 2
Christian 2
Edwin 2
Emanuel 2
Enoch 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Louis 2
Tom 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
B.M. 1
Bain 1
Chas. 1
Christof 1
Dennis 1
Duncan 1
E.C. 1
Edgar 1
Eugenie 1
Evan 1
Ezer 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hert 1
Hubert 1
Hugh 1
Hypolite 1
Isaac 1
J.W. 1
Jackson 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Roger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,037 people were recorded with the Roger surname. That placed it at #3,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 996 in 2016. That gives Roger a modern rank of #5,817.

What does the Roger surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a spearman or a military flag bearer.

What does the Roger map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Roger bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.