Roberta last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Roberta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Roberta.

Meaning of Roberta

A feminine form of the Germanic name Robert meaning "bright renown" or "bright fame".

Roberta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Roberta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roberta in America

Roberta is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roberta surname appeared 162 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Roberta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roberta to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank1092586345053.05%
Count162294-57.89%
Proportion per 100k0.050.11-75.00%

The history of the last name Roberta

The surname Roberta has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "roberta," which translates to "bright fame" or "bright renown." The name is believed to have evolved from the Germanic name "Robert," which means "bright renown."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Roberta can be found in the Florentine archives from the 13th century, where a family bearing this name is mentioned. The surname was particularly prevalent in the cities of Florence and Siena during the medieval period.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni di Roberta (1420-1489) was a renowned painter and sculptor from Siena. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Tuscany, showcasing the artistic talents associated with this surname.

Another prominent individual with the surname Roberta was Vincenzo Roberta (1575-1642), a Florentine mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and is credited with improving the accuracy of astronomical calculations.

In the 18th century, the surname Roberta gained recognition with the birth of Girolamo Roberta (1728-1801), a celebrated Italian composer and violinist. His compositions, particularly his violin concerti, were widely performed and admired throughout Europe during his lifetime.

The surname Roberta also has connections to certain place names in Italy. For instance, the village of Roberta in the province of Basilicata is believed to have derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting a possible historical presence of the Roberta family in that region.

It is worth noting that variations of the surname, such as Roberti and Robertis, were also prevalent in different parts of Italy, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within the country.

While the surname Roberta has its roots in Italy, it has since been adopted and adapted in various other countries and cultures, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have occurred throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roberta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Roberta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Roberta was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only78.40%127
Non-Hispanic Black Only6.79%11
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin14.20%23

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Roberta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White78.40%78.91%-0.65%
Black6.79%10.88%-46.29%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%2.38%(S)%
Hispanic14.20%7.14%66.17%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Roberta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Roberta, please contact us.

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