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

Roberts, 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 Roberts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roberts in America

Roberts is the 50th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roberts surname appeared 376,774 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 128 people would have the surname Roberts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roberts 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.

The history of the last name Roberts

The surname Roberts is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Robert, which in turn came from the Germanic name Robrecht or Rodebert. This name is composed of the elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "berht" meaning "bright." The name Robert was introduced into England by the Norman invaders after the conquest of 1066.

Roberts is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially used to refer to the son of someone named Robert. Early examples of the surname can be found in records from the 12th and 13th centuries, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1166, which mention a William Roberts.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England completed in 1086, does not include any direct references to the Roberts surname. However, it does list individuals with the given name Robert, indicating the name's presence in England before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Roberts surname was William Roberts, a medieval English scholar and theologian born around 1340. He was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and wrote several works on logic and philosophy.

Sir John Roberts (c. 1558-1609) was a prominent Welsh judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and a member of the English House of Commons. He played a crucial role in the administration of Ireland during the Tudor period.

Another notable figure was Abraham Roberts (1647-1711), a Welsh Puritan minister and author known for his influential work "A View of the Religions." He was a prominent figure in the Presbyterian movement in Wales.

In the 18th century, William Roberts (1767-1849) was a Welsh Baptist minister and writer who published several works on theology and religious subjects. He was also involved in the founding of the Baptist College in Abergavenny.

During the American Revolutionary War, Owen Roberts (1758-1794) was a Welsh-born soldier who fought for the Continental Army. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was killed in action during the Battle of Germantown in 1794.

The Roberts surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Roberts Bridge in East Sussex and Roberts Town in Shropshire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the Roberts surname or may have contributed to the development of the surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roberts

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

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 Roberts was:

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 Roberts has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Roberts was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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