Given name & surname · also Germanic
Roger
“fame-spear”
Roger is a masculine given name from Old French, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in English, French, Swedish, and Norwegian.
Original GermanRüdiger
Meaning & origin
What it means
Roger goes back to Proto-Germanic *Hrōþigaizaz, meaning “fame-spear.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
In English usage, Roger developed from ROGIER.
The story
Its historical bearers include members of the aristocracy.
Roger through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 443,830
- 442,142 boys · 1,688 girls
- Most popular year
- 1953
- 13,200 babies
- 2025
- 297
- #834 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 297 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 834 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 13,172 in 1953. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (34). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 294,726 as a first name in 2020; 3,071 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Roger’s family of names
In English usage, Roger has a diminutive in DOIDGE. Roger shares a linguistic root with Rogerio. In English usage, Roger has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Rogelio.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Roger has relatives in 25 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
45 related names in 25 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Rogeliovariant · Spanish
- Rodgervariant · English
- Dodgediminutive · English
- Rogersvariant
- Hodgevariant · English
- Rodgersvariant · English
- Rudigervariant
- Rogeriovariant
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Roggerlikely variant
- Rogerrlikely variant
- Hodgkissonvariant · English
- Hodgkisonvariant · English
- Hadgkissvariant · English
- Hodgskinvariant · English
- Hodgkinvariant · English
- Hodgkinsvariant · English
- Rogiervariant · French, Dutch
- Hodkinsonvariant · English
- Hotchkissvariant · English
- Hotchkinvariant · English
- Hodkinvariant · English
- Doidgediminutive · English
- Rogdiminutive · English
- Kutgervariant
- Kurgervariant
- Ruggierovariant
- Ruggerovariant · Italian
- Rufigervariant
- Rojayvariant
- Rogierovariant
- Rodgevariant
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 29
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Rüdigercognate · German
- Roryequivalent
- Rutgercognate · Dutch
- Rogelequivalent
- Rodgeirequivalent
- Rogerson“son of” surname · English
- McGustyderivative · English
- Hotchinpatronymic from · English
Show 21 moreShow fewer
- ΡογήροςGreek
- Rogérioalso known as · Portuguese, Galician
- Rodjîcognate · Walloon
- Hroþgarcognate · Old English
- Ruggericognate · Italian
- Rugglespatronymic from · English
- Roxerequivalent
- Rogeliequivalent
- RóarFaroese
- Roarcognate · Norwegian
- ロジャーJapanese
- RogeriusLatin
- HróðgeirIcelandic
- RezsőHungarian
- РогерRussian
- RogerijSlovene
- РуђерSerbian
- RotgerOccitan
- RoĝeroEsperanto
- RuđerCroatian
- Rötgercognate
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Roger
- Roger FedererSwiss tennis player (born 1981)
- Roger Martin du GardFrench writer (1881–1958)
- Roger EbertAmerican film critic and author (1942–2013)
- Roger MooreEnglish actor (1927–2017)
- Roger BaconEnglish polymath, philosopher and friar (c.1219/20–c.1292)1220–1292
- Roger PenroseEnglish mathematical physicist, recreational mathematician and philosopherborn 1931
- Syd BarrettBritish musician (1946–2006)
- Roger TaylorEnglish musician, drummer of Queen (born 1949)
- Roger D. KornbergAmerican biochemistborn 1947
Characters named Roger: Roger Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Roger, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Frederick
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Rolf
“a famous wolf”
>99% boys
Fritz
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Gerald
“one who rules with the spear”
>99% boys
Lutz
Lutz is used as a given name and a surname. Lutz is connected with Ludwig.
>99% boys
Baldrih
“bold, brave” · “ruler, king”
>99% boys
Gundry
“battle” · “king, ruler”
—
Gaozrich
“a Geat” · “king”
>99% boys