Rousseau
A French surname meaning “reddish” or “red-haired,” originally a nickname for someone with a ruddy complexion.
The #4,297 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,333 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rousseau comes from French roux, meaning “red” or “reddish,” with the diminutive suffix -eau. In origin it referred to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Older sources also connect it with the related Old French form roussel, which carried a similar sense.
History
The name is well established in French-speaking areas and also became familiar in English through French immigration, especially Huguenot families. It is part of a broad family of surnames built on roux/rousse, including Rousse, Roussel, and Russell. The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau made the name internationally famous.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often glossed Rousseau simply as a nickname for “one having reddish hair.”
From the historical record
“ROUSE. (Fr.) Red, red-haired, same as Rufus. ROUSSEAU. (Fr.) One having reddish hair, carrot color. Ritisseau, local, a brrok. OF FAMILY NAMES. 227 ROWE. Local. A river that overflows its banks. Rowe, Rue, Fr., a street ; Roe, Gaelic, red-haired. ROWEL. Local. From the river Rouel, in the Netherlands. ROWEN. Local.…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names