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

Rodgers, 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 Rodgers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rodgers in America

Rodgers is the 428th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rodgers surname appeared 76,095 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 26 people would have the surname Rodgers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rodgers 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 Rodgers

The surname Rodgers originated in England and Scotland, derived from the Old English words "rod" meaning "a clearing or pasture" and "ger" meaning "spear". It is believed to have first appeared as a surname in the 12th century, referring to someone who lived near a clearing in a forest or worked as a huntsman or gamekeeper.

In the 13th century, the surname Rodgers was recorded in various forms such as Roger, Rogerson, and Roggers in tax rolls and parish records across England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rodgers can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas Rogger.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Rodgers was particularly prevalent in the counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Lancashire in northern England, as well as in the Scottish Lowlands. The name was often associated with rural areas and farming communities.

Notable individuals with the surname Rodgers throughout history include:

1. John Rodgers (c. 1500-1556), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.
2. Samuel Rodgers (1763-1835), an American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
3. John Rodgers (1771-1838), an American naval officer and the first commodore in the United States Navy.
4. Richard Rodgers (1902-1979), an American composer best known for his work in musical theater, including collaborations with Oscar Hammerstein II.
5. Ginger Rodgers (1911-1995), an American actress, dancer, and singer who starred in numerous films and is renowned for her partnership with Fred Astaire.

The surname Rodgers has also been connected to various place names in England and Scotland, such as Rodgerfield in Northumberland and Rodgershill in Renfrewshire, Scotland. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname who settled in or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rodgers

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

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

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

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