Explore the Family Name Robert
The meaning of Robert
1. French, Walloon, English, German, Dutch, Flemish, and Breton (of French origin); Hungarian (Róbert): from the ancient Germanic personal name Ro(d)bert (Middle English Robert, Old French Ro(d)bert), composed of the elements hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + berht ‘bright, famous’. This is found occasionally in Anglo-Saxon England before the Conquest, but in the main it was introduced into England by the Normans and quickly became popular among all classes of society. Pet forms and diminutives are found from an early date, Robin being particularly common. Compare Robair, Robar, Robare, and Rober. 2. In some cases also an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames. History: Louis Robert dit Lafontaine from La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime, France, married Marie Bourgery in Trois-Rivières, QC, in 1666. His descendants also bear the surnames Lafontaine and Polite. — In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name. Guillaume Chartier dit Robert from La Flèche in Sarthe, France, married Marie Faucon in Montreal, QC, in 1663; see also Chartier. Joseph Fâche dit Robert, a descendant of Nicolas Fâche from Méneslies in Somme, France, married Marie-Josèphe Taillefer in Pierrefonds, QC, in 1763. — This surname (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Marcel, Gilles, Normand, Armand, Lucien, Pierre, Emile, Michel, Edouard, Gaston, Yves.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Robert in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Robert has seen a minor decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 2730, falling slightly to 2944 in 2010 — an approximate decrease of 7.84%. Nevertheless, the actual count of individuals bearing this surname saw a marginal increase of 0.43%, from 12,129 in 2000 to 12,181 in 2010. The proportion per 100k people also dropped by about 8.22%, indicating a relative decrease in the prevalence of this surname in the overall population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,730 | #2,944 | -7.84% |
| Count | 12,129 | 12,181 | 0.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.5 | 4.13 | -8.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Robert
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Robert also experienced some shifts during the same period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. There was a significant increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, which rose by approximately 139% from 1.67% in 2000 to 3.99% in 2010. Those reporting two or more races increased marginally, while the percentage of individuals identifying as White saw a slight decrease of roughly 4.15%. The Hispanic representation grew by around 16.48%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native group witnessed a rise of about 23.21%. Meanwhile, there was a small reduction in those identifying as Black, with a decrease of 1.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.28% | 71.2% | -4.15% |
| Black | 16.04% | 15.75% | -1.81% |
| Hispanic | 5.4% | 6.29% | 16.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.67% | 3.99% | 138.92% |
| Two or More Races | 2.04% | 2.08% | 1.96% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.56% | 0.69% | 23.21% |
Robert ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Robert is British & Irish, which comprises 32.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.2%) and Spanish & Portuguese (10.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 32.7% |
| French & German | 30.2% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 10.0% |
| Other | 27.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Robert
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Robert have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 50.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 50.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 49.80% |
What Robert haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Robert is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Craig, Winters, Luke, Ash, Hudson, Fletcher, Owen, Whitman, Shearer, Schafer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Robert surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Robert have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Robert" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Robert" Surname 27.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Robert" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Robert" Surname 15.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Robert?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Robert are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition