{{Infobox family , name = Rorgonid , native_name = , native_name_lang = , other_names = , type = , coat_of_arms = , coat_of_arms_size = , alt = , coat_of_arms_caption = , image = , image_size = , alt2 = , image_caption = , parent_family = , country = , region = , early_forms = , etymology = , origin = Mayenne , founded = Eighth century , founder =

Rorgon I, Count of Maine Rorgon I or Rorico(n) I (also ''Rorgo'' or ''Rorich''; died 16 June 839 or 840) was the first count of Maine and progenitor of the Rorgonid dynasty, which is named for him. He was count of Rennes from 819 and of Maine from 832 until his death. ...

, current_head = , dissolution = , deposition = , cadet branches =

House of Châteaudun A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

, final_ruler = , final_head = , titles = , styles = , members = , connected_members = , other_families = , distinctions = , traditions = , motto = , motto_lang = , motto_trans = , heirlooms = , estate = , website = , footnotes = The Rorgonids were a powerful Frankish family dating from the eighth century. They are sometimes referred to as the first Mayennaise dynasty, referring to the city of

Mayenne Mayenne ( ) is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Il ...

, and are the original counts of Maine. The Rorgonids were named after

, who was the progenitor of the dynasty. His son,

Gauzfrid, Count of Maine Gauzfrid of Maine (died 878) was both Count of Maine and Margrave of the Norman March from 865 until his death. He was a son of Rorgon of Maine by his wife Bilechilde. In 861, Charles the Bald, king of West Francia, created the March of Neustria ...

, was the first to hold power in the Norman

March of Neustria The Marches of Neustria (; ; Norman: ''Maurches de Neûtrie'') were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Monarchy of France (or the Crown), known as ward ...

. The Rorgonids controlled the

County of Maine Maine () is one of the traditional provinces of France. It corresponds to the former County of Maine, whose capital was also the city of Le Mans. The area, now divided into the departments of Sarthe and Mayenne, has about 857,000 inhabitant ...

throughout the ninth century. The Rorgonids and the

Widonids The Widonids, also called Guidonids, or Lambertiner, after their leading names, were an Italian family of Frankish origin prominent in the ninth century. They were descended from Guy of Nantes, whose origins were Austrasian. They were an aggre ...

competed for control of the

Breton March The Marches of Neustria (; ; Norman: ''Maurches de Neûtrie'') were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Monarchy of France (or the Crown), known as w ...

through much of that time. The first known ruler of Maine (called the Duke of Maine) was

Charivius {{no footnotes, date=August 2022 Charivius (French ''Hervé'') was the Frankish Duke of Maine (''dux Cenomannicus'') in the early eighth century. His father was Chrotgar, Duke of Maine, son or grandson of Chrodbert, count Palatine of Chlothar II ...

, who is conjectured by

Christian Settipani Christian Settipani (born 31 January 1961) is a French genealogist, historian and IT professional, currently working as the Technical Director of a company in Paris. Biography Settipani holds a Master of Advanced Studies from the Paris-Sorb ...

to be the brother or nephew of

Lambert, Count of Hesbaye Lambert was the father of a Frankish noble named Robert, who was described in 741 AD as a "count or duke" in the neighbouring regions of Hesbaye, in what is now northeastern Belgium, and Maasau, which stretches into what is now the Netherlands. No ...

. Further, Settipani identifies Charivius as a direct ancestor of the Rorgonids. Charivius was displaced as ruler of Maine by the Carolinians in 748, with his dynasty restored in 832. The

descended from Gauzfred I (or Geoffrey I) whom Count

Theobald I of Blois Theobald I (before 91316 January 975, 976 or 977), called the Trickster (known as ''le Tricheur'' – meaning “cheater”– in French), was Count of Blois, Tours, Chartres and Châteaudun, as well as Lord of Vierzon and Provins. He was a loyal ...

made

viscount of Châteaudun A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is so ...

in 956. Recent research makes him a direct-line

agnatic Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

descendant of the Frankish family Rorgonides.

Sources

*Barton, Richard E., ''Lordship in the County of Maine, c. 890-1160'', Boydell Press, 2004 (available o
Google Books
*

. "Addendum to the Ancestors of Charlemagne"
PDF
. History of Normandy Frankish noble families