Róg

Róg is a Polish surname that derives directly from the Polish common noun róg, meaning "animal horn." This origin places it within a well-known category of Slavic surnames that emerged from everyday objects, tools, or natural features—a naming pattern that often reflected a person's occupation, physical characteristic, or the location of their home.

The rise of hereditary surnames in Poland was a gradual process that began among the nobility in the 15th–16th centuries and spread to the general population by the 18th–19th centuries. Róg would have initially served as a nickname for someone who made or sold horns, for a person with a horn-like physical feature (such as a prominent nose or a horned animal kept by them), or for someone living at a place named after a horn-shaped geographical feature (e.g., a bend in a river).

Like many Polish surnames, Róg has a feminine equivalent that is identical in spelling but indeclinable—Róg f—as well as a masculine declinable form. The surname is also known in an alternative spelling: Rug, which may reflect regional pronunciation variants or clerical errors in historical records. The homophony with rug (meaning "rug, strand") and róg (meaning coffee brand or simply the instrument) is explored on Polish-language etymological resources.

The surname is most frequently found in Poland, with a wide but not extremely dense distribution. According to official surname frequency data, over 4,000 individuals bear the surname Róg in Poland, placing it in a moderate frequency tier. There are no extensively documented notable bearers in global public records, which is typical for a non-eponymous toponymic and occupational surname. Nevertheless, Róg is a recognizable and historically meaningful family name that reflects the linguistic and material culture of Poland.

• Meaning: "animal horn"
• Origin: Polish
• Type: Occupational, topographic, or nicknaming surname
• Usage regions: Poland