The Roberts surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 376,774 people carried this name — #50 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 783 people counted. That is up 3% from 366,215 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Roberts surname
An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic from the given name Robert.
From Robert + -s.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Roberts» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 2,780 people named Roberts live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Chubut.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 40 births for the Roberts name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
298 people named Roberts live in Switzerland.
They live in 15 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 220 people named Roberts.
Most of them — 170 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 17 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
106 people named Roberts have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 302 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 75 people named Roberts live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Limburg.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
760 people named Roberts are counted in Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Norway publishes only surnames with 200 or more bearers. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Statistics Norway (SSB, ssb.no), table 12891, 2025 — CC BY 4.0 · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Roberts in American newspapers,
1894–1925.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,215,284 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Roberts,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Francis Roberts 1609–1675 · writer -
Eleazar Roberts 1825–1912 · astronomer -
Ellis H. Roberts 1827–1918 · politician -
George Brooke Roberts 1833–1897 · businessperson -
Emeline Roberts Jones 1836–1916 · dentist
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 187 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Roberts.
- Robe 497 · U.S. census
- Roberge 3,714 · U.S. census
- Robert 12,181 · U.S. census
- Roberti 798 · U.S. census
- Roberto 3,770 · U.S. census
- Roberton 260 · U.S. census
- Robertson 153,666 · U.S. census
- Robida 348 · U.S. census
- Robidas 161 · U.S. census
- Robidou 130 · U.S. census
- Robillard 3,499 · U.S. census
- Robin 5,212 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Roberts is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.