Surname Roget - Meaning and Origin
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Roget: What does the surname Roget mean?
The last name Roget is of French origin, although its exact meaning is not explicitly known. It is widely recognized because of Peter Mark Roget, a British physician, natural theologian, and lexicographer who is best known for publishing Roget’s Thesaurus. As a surname, it may have been a topographic name for someone who lived by a felled oak tree or a designated area of land, from the Old French term "roget," meaning "garden plot." Over time, many French surnames have been linked to specific regions, so it is also likely that the name Roget may have geographic or territorial connotations relating to a particular area in France. However, without historically verifiable information specific to the Roget family lineage and history, any assertion about the name's definitive meaning remains speculative.
Order DNA origin analysisRoget: Where does the name Roget come from?
The last name Roget is most common today in France and other French-speaking countries. It is thought to have originated near the southeastern border of France, in the city of Arles. The name Roget first appears in records from the twelfth century in the town of Laon, in modern-day northern France.
From the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, the Roget name spread to other parts of France, including the regions of Burgundy and Champagne. By then, Roget was a well-established surname in the western parts of the country.
Since then, the Roget name has spread across the globe. In Canada, increasing numbers of French immigrants settling in the country during the 20th century have led to a large concentration of Rogets in Canada's francophone region, especially in Quebec. In the United States, where the name is less common, several established Roget families originated in the early 19th century.
Today, the last name Roget appears with regularity in France, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. However, due to its French roots, the surname Roget is far more common in France, and in French-speaking countries, than anywhere else in the world.
Variations of the surname Roget
The Roget surname has many variants and spellings from different countries and regions. In Scotland, the surname is most often spelled as MacRory, MacRaig, or MacGregor. In England, Roget is often spelled Roger, Rodgers, Rodger, and Rodgers. In France, the surname is strictly spelled Roget, Roche, Roge, and Rouget. In Ireland, it is spelled Rogan, Rogaine, and Roque. Lastly, the variant Roget could also be spelled as Rogot, Roggert, Roet, and Ruge in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
In Scotland, the surname Roget can be traced back to Clan Gregor or MacGregor, which is an ancient Scottish family. The word Mac generally means “son of” in Gaelic, so many variant spellings of MacGregor such as MacRory and MacRaig mean “son of Rory” or “son of Raig” respectively.
In France, the Roget surname could have been derived from a Norman name, Rogier, which comes from the Germanic name, “Rodger”. The French also had several different versions of this surname, including Roche, Roge, and Rouget.
In Ireland, scholars claim that the Rogan, Rogaine, and Roque surnames are derivatives of Roget, as all three have the same Latin root, Rogeri.
In Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, Roget founds its way there as Rogot, Roggert, Roet, and Ruge. Since Germanic names were becoming popular in the early Medieval period, these spellings were more likely to be found.
Overall, Roget has a wide variety of spellings and derivatives that trace back to different parts of the world. It is a surname with centuries of historical and cultural importance that can be found all over the world.
Famous people with the name Roget
- Peter Mark Roget (1779–1869): British physician, natural theologian, and lexicographer, best known for publishing Roget’s Thesaurus.
- Édouard Roget (1836–1910): French Post-Impressionist artist.
- Richard Roget (1795–1877): British stock broker.
- Jean Roget, Baron de Fels (1840–1898): French politician and senator.
- Auguste Roget (1839–1890): French physician and professor of zoology.
- Christine de Pizan Roget (1811–1891): English-born French author of The World’s Great Achievements.
- Benjamin Roget (1782–1863): English author, translator, and diplomat.
- Pierre-Joseph Roget (1790–1853): French physician and naturalist.
- Jacques Roget (1809–1885): French lawyer, politician, and author.
- Victor Roget (1822–1884): French painter.