Meaning of Last Name

Origins: North Wales

Roberts is a surname of North Welsh, deriving from the Anglo Saxon/Norman given name Robert, meaning "bright fame" – from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning fame and "beraht" meaning bright. Roberts may mean either "servant of Robert" or "son of Robert"; the latter is more common in Wales, while the former is more common in England. Although the name Robert was known in England before the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was mainly introduced into England by the Normans. Today the surname Roberts is common in both England, Wales and the Isle of Man, with the biggest concentration by far occurring in North Wales. In colloquial North-Walian Welsh "Roberts" is often pronounced as "Robaits". The name is uncommon in Scotland and Ireland.