About us
On 13 Jan 2007, Lisa Grimes set-up the Rosser DNA Project with Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) of Houston, Texas. The purpose of this project is to find Rosser ancestors through DNA testing. FTDNA has determined 111 markers on the Y-chromosome that would be beneficial to genealogist in tracing specific surname lines. These particular markers were selected for their relatively low mutation rates. There are four different tests that can be utilized: The Y-DNA 12-marker, the Y-DNA 37-marker, the Y-DNA 67-marker, and the Y-DNA 111-marker test. The Y-DNA test only works with males who have the same surname. The Y-chromosome is passed from father to son, father to son, etc., so it becomes a marker for the surname. A female may participate in this project by having her father, brother, uncle or male cousin, who carry the Rosser surname, contribute a sample of their Y-DNA.
Note: For a period time, from mid-2013 to 13 July 2015, the Rosser DNA Project became orphaned … i.e., it did not have an administrator. The reason for this taking place has never been fully explained by FTDNA, nor understood by Allen Prosser the current administrator. On 14 July 2014, Allen Prosser was able to rescue the orphaned Rosser DNA Project and make it a viable project again.Introduction
Rosser families were early arrivals to the Colonies ... arriving, first, in Virginia, Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the mid to late 1600s; and second, in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s.
The origins of the Surname Rosser
The Rosser surname is of Welsh origin. It is derived from the old given name Roger. Roger is a continental Germanic given name consisting of the Old High German1 elements hrod 'fame' and gar 'spea' ... hence, meaning famous spear2.The given name Roger was brought to the British isles, from France, during the Norman conquest of 1066. The Welsh sound system originally did not include the sound of 'j' or the 'g' found in the name Roger. When words containing this sound were borrowed from another language and incorporated into Welsh, the nearest sound equivalent was 's' or 'si' ... so that Roger became Rosier (pronounced: ROH-sure) and usually written Rosser. The initial 'r' in Welsh is usually given the aspirate quality hence, Rhosier or Rhoser.
The Welsh people, historically, have used a patronymic naming system where the son's surname is derived from his father's given name. In Welsh the patronymic designator is 'ap' (or 'ab' ) meaning 'son of' ... similar to Mc and Mac, used in Irish and Scottish family names3. The designator ap is used before names beginning with a consonant, and the designator ab is used before names beginning with a vowel.
For example, if a man named Harry had a son Owen, then Owen would be known as Owen ap Harry. In turn, if Owen had a son Richard, then Richard would be known as Richard ab Owen. And once again, if Richard had a son Rosser, then Rosser would be known as Rosser ap Richard. And finally, if Rosser had a son John, then John would be known as John ap Rosser. If John ap Rosser happen to be living during the sixteenth century in Wales and decided to move to England, then he would be required to anglicize his name; hence, John ap Rosser, of Wales, would be known as John Rosser in England4. From this example it can be seen that not all Welsh Rossers are related. Any male who had a father whose given name was Rosser at the time surnames came into existence would end up having the surname Rosser. Recent DNA studies of various Rosser family lines has proved this to be true.
Genetically, people who have the Welsh Rosser surname belong to Haplogroup R1b.
In summation, the etymology of the Welsh surname Rosser is as follows:
Hrodgar (famous spear) > Roger > Rhosier > Rosser > Rosser
Old High German > French > Welsh form ........... > Anglo form
Notes:
1. The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to1050 CE. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of Old High German proper to 750 for this reason. There are, however, a number of Elder Futhark inscriptions dating to the 6th century (notably the Pforzen buckle), as well as single words and many names found in Latin texts predating the 8th century.
2. The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic 'Beowulf'). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lord Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who later ruled Sicily as a king.
3. Names that identify the father are termed Patronymic surnames. Names that identify the mother are termed Matronymic. Rarely, does the name of the mother contributed to the surname. The Scandinavians added "son" to identify John's son or Erik's son. The Norman French used the prefix "Fitz" to mean child of, as in Fitzpatrick, for child of Patrick. Many other cultures have had their own prefixes to indicate the father's name, such as the Scots (MacDonald), the Irish (O'Brien), the Dutch (Van Buren), the French (de Gaulle), the Germans (Von Berger), the Spanish/Italian (Di Tello) and the Arab-speaking nations (ibn-Saud).
4. William the Conqueror passed into English Law the Act of Union in 1536 requiring all families to adopt a surname and translate all names to the English counter part.
Prepared & updated by:
Allen J. Prosser, 6 August 2015