Roberta

Roberta is the feminine form of Robert, a name of Old High German origin composed of the elements hrod, meaning fame, and beraht, meaning bright, giving the overall sense of bright fame. The name spread widely across Western Europe following the Norman Conquest of England and the influence of the Frankish nobility. Roberta gained particular popularity in English-speaking countries and in Italy during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, partly boosted by cultural works such as the 1933 American musical of the same name. Related forms include Roberte in French, Robertina as a diminutive, and the shortened variants Bobbie and Berta.