Roggeveen

Roggeveen is a Dutch surname. It is associated with Dutch maritime exploration in the early 18th century. The most prominent bearer is Jacob Roggeveen (1659–1729), a Dutch navigator and explorer in the service of the Dutch East India Company. In 1721–1722 he led a Pacific voyage that produced the first recorded European contact with Easter Island, which he sighted on 5 April 1722. The expedition expanded European geographic knowledge of the Pacific but did not find substantial new resources or a route to Terra Australis.

The Roggeveen name remains linked to this exploratory voyage and to the era of early modern Dutch exploration. While Jacob Roggeveen is the best known figure associated with the surname, the name appears in historical accounts of Dutch seafaring and Pacific exploration from the period. In modern references, Roggeveen is primarily recognized for its connection to Jacob and the Easter Island discovery.