Rogers

This is a surname of English and sometimes Scottish, medieval origins. It is a patronymic form of Roger, which itself is of Norman-French origin, but from a Germanic personal name originally "Rodger". Composed of the elements "hrod", meaning renown, and gari, a spear, it was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. It reinforced the similar existing pre 7th century Anglo-Saxon name "Hrothgar", the earliest reference to which is in "Beowulf", the epic poem of the Dark Ages. In England the name became very popular, as were its pet forms of Hodge and Dodge. The personal name was first recorded as "Rogerus" in the Domesday Book of 1086, whilst the surname itself is first recorded in the mid 13th Century (see below). Early examples of the surname recording include: William Rogger in the Subsidy Tax Rolls of the county of Sussex in 1296, whilst Henry Rogeres was recorded in the similar rolls, but for Worcestershire in 1327. Other early interesting recordings include Nathaniel Rogers (1598 - 1655), educated at Cambridge University in England, and his son John (1630 - 1684), who emigrated to the New England colony of Virginia in 1636. John Rogers became the president of Harvard University in 1682. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Roger. This was dated 1263, in the "Archaeological Records" of the county of Kent, during the reign of King Henry 111 of England,1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.