Most genealogists believe that the name Roger is derived from the pre-7th century Old English name Hrothgar, which means 'fame spear' ("hroð" fame or renown, "gari" spear), the first reference to which is in Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon epic poem.

[dubious – discuss] The "Rogers" given name was probably first introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and is first recorded as "Rogerus" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Examples include William Rogger in the subsidy tax rolls of the county of Sussex in 1296, and Henry Rogeres in similar records for Worcestershire of 1327.

[citation needed] The surname is now found commonly throughout Britain, particularly in southern and western England, and also in Scotland and Wales.

According to the 1990 United States Census, 'Rogers' ranked fifty-fourth in frequency among all reported surnames, accounting for 0.12% of the population.