This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Roger.' In Domesday Rogerus, Norfolk Exceedingly common in the 13th century all over the country, giving us the nicks. Hodge and Dodge, and through them Hodgson, Hodgkins, Hodgkinson, &c, which see. Roger vied with Robert, John, and William for popularity for several centuries. In France, too, the name was a favourite, the French proverb for 'There's a good time coming' being 'Roger Bon Temps.' Hodge is now an English synonym for a peasant or agricultural labourer. Once a knightly name, Roger has fallen from his high estate, and is, as Joan, ever among the poor. Early registers teem with the name. I furnish one or two instances for form's sake:

Adam fil. Rogeri, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Robert fil. Rogeri, Norfolk, ibid.

Eufemia fil. Rogert. Suffolk, 30 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Waltero Rogero, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Willelmus Rogerson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Rogerus Smyth, 1379: ibid.

1788. Married — John Cooper and Elizabeth Rogerson: St. George, Hanover Square.

1808. — James Rodgers and Mary Spencer: ibid.

'son of Roger.' See Rodger. Macrory is sometimes (but wrongly) so rendered. Rory is from Gaelic Ruadhri for Ruadhraigh, and Roger is from Teutonic Hrothgar. See also under RODGERSON.

Roger’s Son, v. Roger, Rodger.

The (Latinized) form of these patronymics in the 13th-cent. Hundred-Rolls is ‘fil. Rogeri.’ Many an Irish Mac Rory or Mac Rury has Anglicized his name to Rogers and Rogerson.

(Welsh, English) The son of Roger (fame, spear).

See Roger. The family of Rogers of Home, in Shropshire, are a cadet of the Norburys of Norbury in that county. In 7. Edward II., 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. B.L.G.

From Rogerstone; a location name in Monmouth.

Rogers. —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. The counties next distinguished are Bucks and Sussex. Its only representatives in the north of England are the Rogersons of Lancashire. 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. Lower says that there is an ancient family of Rogers in Shropshire dating back to the time of Edward II.