roger

Roger is a masculine given name of Germanic origin that reached the English-speaking world via Old French Rogier. It derives from a Frankish name such as Hrodger, formed from the elements hrod meaning “fame” or “glory” and ger or gar meaning “spear.” The combined meaning is often rendered as “famous spear” or “glorious spear.” The form Roger entered England with Norman-French influence and spread through Europe in the Middle Ages; it remains common in many countries today. Variants include Rogier and Rogério in Portuguese, Rogier in Dutch, and Rogério in Spanish; in English, Roger is the standard form and is also used as a surname in some cases.

Notable people named Roger include Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis player; Roger Moore, the English actor known for portraying James Bond; Roger Waters, the British musician of Pink Floyd; Roger Daltrey, the British musician of The Who; Roger Bannister, the British athlete who ran the first sub-four-minute mile; Roger Ebert, the American film critic; Roger Penrose, the British mathematical physicist; and Roger Taylor, the British musician and drummer for Queen.

In radiocommunications, “Roger” means “message received” or “I have received your transmission,” derived from the phonetic use of the letter R. The term is used in aviation, maritime, and military contexts and has entered common speech as “Roger that.”

Outside individuals, Roger also appears as a surname in some regions and as a given-name archetype in literature and media.