Roush
A surname most often treated as a variant spelling of names like Rausch, Roush, or Rausch/Rousche, likely reflecting Germanic or French roots.
The #3,173 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,116 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Roush is usually explained as an Anglicized or altered form of a continental surname, especially German Rausch or a related French form. In German, Rausch can refer to a rush, a roar, intoxication, or a noisy uproar, so some surname uses may have begun as a nickname. In French contexts, similar-looking forms can also reflect old words for a reddish or ruddy complexion, though this is less certain for the modern spelling Roush.
History
The spelling became established in North America, where immigration and English-language recordkeeping often simplified or shifted continental surnames. In U.S. records, Roush is found especially in areas with strong German-American settlement. Because the modern spelling can represent more than one original form, individual family lines may not share the same exact origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same American spelling can conceal different immigrant spellings, so two families named Roush may not be closely related at all.