The first name Roger
A boy’s name meaning “fame-spear”.
Pronounced /ˈɹɑ.d͡ʒɚ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Roger means “fame-spear”.
From Old French Rogier, from the Frankish equivalent of Old English Hrōþgār (see Hroðgar), from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþigaizaz (“fame-spear”). Compare also Rutger.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 9 boys were named Roger, making it the 2,440th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 23 births (#694).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Roger with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Roger at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 297 boys born in the United States were named Roger, the 834th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1953, when 13,172 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Roger in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Roger in Catalan, Finnish, French, Polish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Roger
410 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Roger EbertAmerican film critic and author (1942–2013)
- Roger Martin du GardFrench writer (1881–1958)
- Roger MooreEnglish actor (1927–2017)
- Roger BaconEnglish polymath, philosopher and friar (c.1219/20–c.1292)
- Roger PenroseEnglish mathematical physicist, recreational mathematician and philosopher, born 1931
- Roger WatersEnglish musician, co-founder of Pink Floyd (born 1943)
- Roger TaylorEnglish musician, drummer of Queen (born 1949)
- Roger D. KornbergAmerican biochemist, born 1947
- Roger Y. TsienAmerican biochemist (1952-2016)
- Roger GuilleminFrench-American neuroscientist (1924–2024)
- Roger ScrutonEnglish conservative philosopher and writer (1944–2020)
- Roger GaraudyFrench philosopher, politician and Holocaust denier (1913-2012)
Questions
- What does the name Roger mean?
- Roger means “fame-spear”.
- How popular is the name Roger?
- In 2025, 9 boys born in England and Wales were named Roger, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 1997, with 23 births.
- What are nicknames for Roger?
- Common nicknames for Roger include Rog.
- Is Roger a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 443,830 US babies named Roger since 1880 were boys.
- When was Roger most popular?
- 1953 in the United States, when 13,172 babies were named Roger, its highest rank at 31st.
- How do you pronounce Roger?
- Roger is /ˈɹɑ.d͡ʒɚ/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Roger?
- Rodger.
- Is Roger also a surname?
- Yes. Roger is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.