Roberts
/ˈrɒbərts/noun
A common English surname meaning "son of Robert," originally a patronymic form.
Did you know?Roberts is a patronymic surname, so its power is ancestral: it marks descent from Robert, a name ultimately formed from Germanic elements meaning “bright fame.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hrodaz + *berhtaz
““fame” + “bright, shining””
Old High German
OHG
Hrodebert
“A personal name meaning roughly “bright fame””
Old French
OF
Robert
“A common given name brought into England by the Normans”
Middle English
English
Roberts
“A surname meaning “Robert’s son” or descendant of Robert”
Modern English
English
Roberts
“A hereditary family name and occasional given name”