The name Rogers is an English given name with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It originated as a surname derived from the ancient Germanic name Rodger, which was a compound of the elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "ger" meaning "spear."

In the 11th century, the name Rodger appeared in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. It was later anglicized to Roger and became a popular name among the Norman aristocracy.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Roger of Salisbury, a prominent bishop and advisor to King Henry I of England in the 12th century. The name also appears in literary works such as the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, where a character named Roger the Cook is mentioned.

During the Renaissance, the name gained further popularity across Europe. Notable individuals included Roger Bacon, an English philosopher and Franciscan friar known for his early advocacy of the scientific method (c. 1214-1292), and Roger de Flor, a military adventurer who led the Catalan Company in the Byzantine Empire (c. 1268-1305).

In the 16th century, the Protestant reformer Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island and a champion of religious freedom, was born (c. 1603-1683). Another notable figure was Roger Ascham, an English scholar and writer who served as a tutor to Queen Elizabeth I (c. 1515-1568).

The name continued to be used throughout the centuries, with individuals like Roger Boyle, the Earl of Orrery and a prominent statesman in Ireland (1621-1679), and Roger Sherman, a founding father of the United States and the only person to sign all four Great Founding Documents (1721-1793).

In the 19th century, Roger Brooke Taney served as the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1777-1864), while Roger B. Taney, his nephew, was a notable Confederate general during the American Civil War (1836-1920). Other notable figures include Roger Casement, an Irish patriot and human rights activist (1864-1916), and Roger Fry, an English artist and art critic who played a pivotal role in the development of modern art (1866-1934).