Show ContentsRober History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Rober

What does the name Rober mean?

The majestic country of France is the ancestral homeland of the distinguished surname Rober. The earliest hereditary surnames in France were either patronymic surnames, derived from the father's given name, or metronymic names, derived from the mother's given name. Rober is derived from the Old French personal name Robert, which is composed of the Germanic elements "hrod," meaning "bright," and "berht," meaning "bright," or "famous."

Early Origins of the Rober family

The surname Rober was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where this renowned family has held a family seat since the Middle Ages.

The earliest and only member recorded from this family in Bourgogne was Lancelot Le Robert, Lord of la Tour de Pancy and part of Annoux, who became the Secretary of the Duke of Bourgogne, and successively owned Pontailler-sur-Saône, and the Lordships of Montréal and Châtel-Girard in 1445. He was assassinated by his wife. His descendants were recorded as possessors of the Lordship of Pancy in the seventeenth century.

Other notable descendants under this name were: Hubert (1733-1808), landscape painter; François (1737-1819), who was the King's Geographer and a politician; Pierre-François-Joseph (1763-1826), who was a member of the National Convention; Louis-Léopold (1794-1835), who was a talented Swiss painter; Louis-Benoît and Simon, who were Generals and were both honoured as Barons of the Empire in 1811.

Mathurin Robert, born in 1665, son of Pierre and Julienne (née Guilmette), travelled from Brittany (French: Bretagne) to Canada in the 17th century. After settling in Quebec he married Elizabeth Marcot, daughter of Nicolas and Martine (née Taurey), at Pointe-aux-Trembles on 30th July 1691. 1

Early History of the Rober family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rober research. The years 1618, 1699, 1758, 1760, 1783 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Rober History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rober Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Robert, Robers, Robart, Roberte, Robertes, Robarte, Robartes, Robarts, Roberrt, Roberrs, Roberre, Robèrre, Robarres, Robarrs, Robarre, le Robert, le Robers, de Robert, de Robers and many more.

Early Notables of the Rober family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Louis-Benoît Robert, General, Baron of the Empire


Rober migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rober Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joh Wilhelm Rober, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Rober Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louis Rober, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 2
  • W Rober, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Rober (post 1700) +

  • Richard Rober (1910-1952), American actor
  • Rober W. Kenefick, American scientist and researcher at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts
  • Rober Racine (b. 1956), Canadian Governor-General’s Award recipient for for career excellence in the visual and media arts in 2015


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook