Roger is a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

, usually masculine, and a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

. The given name is derived from the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ("spear", "lance") (Hrōþigēraz). The name was introduced into England by the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...

. In

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, the

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

name had been reinforced by the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

cognate '. The name introduced into England replaced the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...

'. ''Roger'' became a very common given name during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. A variant form of the given name ''Roger'' that is closer to the name's origin is ''

Rodger Rodger is a surname, and is a variant of Roger as a first name. First name * Rodger Arneil, Scottish rugby union player * Rodger Bain, British former record producer * Rodger Bumpass, American voice actor and actor *Rodger Corser, Australian actor ...

''.

Slang and other uses

Roger is also a short version of the term "

Jolly Roger Jolly Roger is the traditional English name for the flags flown to identify a pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the later part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly ...

", which refers to a black flag with a white skull and crossbones, formerly used by sea pirates since as early as 1723. From up to , Roger was slang for the word "

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do n ...

". In ''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the stage. A film version, ''Under Milk Wood'' directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972, and another adaptation of ...

'', Dylan Thomas writes "jolly, rodgered" suggesting both the sexual

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

and the pirate term "Jolly Roger". In 19th-century England, Roger was slang for another term, the cloud of toxic green gas that swept through the chlorine bleach factories periodically. From circa 1940 in US and UK wartime communication, "Roger" came to represent "R" when spelling out a word. "R" is the first letter in "received", used to acknowledge understanding a message. This spread to civilian usage as "ROGER" replaced "received" in spoken usage in air traffic radio parlance by 1950.
Current British slang
includes the word as a verb to mean sexual intercourse, i.e., "took her home and Rogered her."

Spellings

The following forenames are related to the

English given name English names are names used in, or originating in, England. In England as elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a complete name usually consists of a given name, commonly referred to as a first name, and a (most commonly patrilineal) family ...

''Roger'': * ar, روجر, translit=Rōjar, Rōjir * Alt. * be, Роджэр , translit=Rodžer * ca, Roger * * hr, Ruđer, Rogerije * nl,

Rutger Rutger is a male given name common in the Netherlands, and a cognate of the first name Roger. People *Ruotger (died 931), archbishop of Trier * (c.975–1050), First Duke of Cleves * (died 1075), Second Duke of Cleves *Rutger von Ascheberg (1621� ...

Rogier Rogier may refer to: Given name Rogier is a Dutch masculine given name equivalent to Roger. People with this name include: * Rogier van Aerde, pseudonym of Adolf Josef Hubert Frans van Rijen (1917–2007), Dutch writer and journalist *Rogier Bli ...

* fo, Róar * fil, Rogelio * french: Roger * gl, Roxerio, Roxelio * german:

Rüdiger Rüdiger (English ''Ruediger'', ''Rudiger'', Roger) is a German given name. The meaning comes from Old High German: ''hruod'' (fame) and ''ger'' (spear). The name became popular because of the character Rüdiger von Bechelaren from ''Nibelung''. P ...

, Roger * el, Ρογήρος , translit=Rogéros, Rógi̱ros * gu, રોજર , translit=Rōjara * he, רוג׳ר , translit=Rojer * hi, रॉजर , translit=Rŏjara * hu, Rezső, Rogerios * is, Hróar, Hróðgeir, Ragnar * it,

Ruggero Ruggero (), the Italian equivalent of Roger, may refer to: * Ruggero I of Sicily (1031–1101) Norman king of Sicily *Ruggero Berlam (1854–1920), Italian architect *Ruggero Bonghi (1826–1895), Italian scholar, writer and politician *Ruggero B ...

, Roggero, Ruggeri,

Ruggiero Ruggiero () is an Italian spelling variant of the name Ruggero, a version of the Germanic name Roger, and may refer to: As a surname *Adamo Ruggiero (born 1986), Canadian actor *Angela Ruggiero (born 1980), American hockey player *Angelo Ruggiero ...

, Rugiero * ja, ロジャー, ロゲル , translit=Rojā, Rogeru * kn, ರೋಜರ್ , translit=Rōjar * * ku, راجەر , translit=Racer * la,

Rogerius Rogerius can refer to the following things: It is the Latin form of the given name Roger, and was the name of several medieval figures. *Rogerius (physician) (also called Rogerius Salernitanus, Roger Frugard, Roger Frugardi, Roggerio Frugardo, and ...

* mk, Роџер , translit=Rodžer * ml, റോജർ , translit=Roger * gv, Roree * mn, Рожер , translit=Rojyer * ne, रोजर , translit=Rōjara * no, Roar, Roary, Roger * oc, Rogièr, Rotger * fa, راجر , translit=Rājər * pl, Roger, Gerek * pt,

Rogério Rogério ( �uˈʒɛɾiuor �oˈʒɛɾiu is a Portuguese male given name, and a variant of the first name Roger. It may refer to: * Rogério Fidélis Régis, or simply Rogério (1976), Brazilian footballer * Rogério Lourenço (1971), Brazilian f ...

* pa, ਰੋਜ਼ਰ , translit=Rōzara * russian: Роджер , translit=Ródžer, Rodzher * sr, Руђер , translit=Ruđer * sl, Rogerij * es,

Rogelio Rogelio () is a masculine Spanish given name and a variant of the first name Roger. Notable people with the name include: * Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (born 1962), Filipino chess player *Rogelio Armenteros (born 1994), Cuban pitcher in Major League Bas ...

* sv, Roar, Roger, Rutger * ta, ரோஜர் , translit=Rōjar * te, రోజర్ , translit=Rōjar * th, โรเจอร์ , translit=Rochoe * uk, Роджер , translit=Rodzher * ur, , translit=Rājər * cy, Rosser, Rozier * yi, ראַדזשער , translit=Radzher

People

Given name

Medieval period

''See also , and for people with these names''

Kings and rulers

Hrothgar Hrothgar ( ang, Hrōðgār ; on, Hróarr) was a semi-legendary Danish king living around the early sixth century AD. Hrothgar appears in the Anglo-Saxon epics ''Beowulf'' and ''Widsith'', in Norse sagas and poems, and in medieval Danish chron ...

, semi-legendary Danish king living around the early sixth century AD *

Roger I of Sicily Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Roger Bosso and The Great, was a Norman nobleman who became the first Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was a member of the H ...

, Norman ruler of Sicily *

Roger II of Sicily Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Rog ...

(1095–1154), Norman King of Sicily and Africa, one of the principal commanders of

Second Crusade The Second Crusade (1145–1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusa ...

Roger III of Sicily Roger III ( it, Ruggero III, scn, Ruggeru III; 1175 – 24 December 1193), of the House of Hauteville, was the eldest son and heir of King Tancred of Sicily and Queen Sibylla of Acerra, Sibylla. He was made Duke of Apulia (as Roger V), probably in ...

(1175–1193), briefly King of Sicily

Others

Roger, Archbishop of Patras Roger was the Latin Archbishop of Patras and ruler of the Barony of Patras in Frankish Greece from 1337 until ca. 1347. Roger succeeded William Frangipani on the latter's death in 1337. William, an energetic and capable man, had made the See of Pa ...

(in post 1337–1347) * Roger (Archdeacon of Barnstaple) (in post from 1155) *

Roger (archbishop of Benevento) Roger of San Severino (died December 1221)W. Maleczek, ''Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216'', (Vienna 1984), 68. was the Archbishop of Benevento from 1179 until his death. He was probably a younger brother of Count William of San Severino, ...

(died 1221) *

Roger (bishop of Ross) Roger (died in or after 1350) was a churchman based in the 14th century Kingdom of Scotland, and active as Bishop of Ross (Scotland), Bishop of Ross from 1325 until 1350. Before attaining this position, Roger was a canon (priest), canon of Abern ...

(died c. 1350) *

Roger (larderer) Roger (died 1102) was a medieval Bishop of Hereford-elect. Roger was the larderer for King Henry I of England before he was appointed to the see of Hereford in September 1102.Vaughn ''Anselm of Bec'' pp. 246–248 He was invested with the bishopr ...

(died 1102), Bishop-elect of Hereford *

Roger Borsa Roger Borsa (1060/1061 – 22 February 1111) was the Norman Duke of Apulia and Calabria and effective ruler of southern Italy from 1085 until his death. Life Roger was the son of Robert Guiscard and Sikelgaita, a Lombard noblewoman. His ambiti ...

(1060/61–1111), Norman Duke of Apulia and Calabria *

Roger (son of Dagobert) Roger, the son of Dagobert (Greek: ), was a Norman magnate who deserted to the Byzantine Empire where he entered the service of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118). He is the founder of the noble Byzantine family of Rogerios. Biography Roge ...

(), Norman magnate who served the Byzantine empire *

Roger I. de Sentes Roger I. de Sentes also known as ''Rogerius'' was an twelfth century French Catholic Bishop. Not much is known of his career or episciple work but he was Bishop of Oloron from 1102 until 1114 A.D. His most notable achievement is the constructio ...

, 12th century French bishop *

Roger I Trencavel Roger I Trencavel, (''Roger I of Beziers''), (died 1150) was the eldest son of Bernard Ato IV, Viscount of Albi, Agde, Béziers, Carcassonne, Nîmes, and Razès. On his father's death in 1130 he inherited Albi, Carcassonne, and Razès, while his you ...

(died 1150), Viscount of Carcassonne *