Roof
A surname probably from the old Germanic word for “fame,” though it may sometimes have been confused with or influenced by forms meaning “roof.”
The #7,406 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,702 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical explanation connects Roof with an old Germanic word meaning “fame” or “renown,” reflected in Old English and Old Saxon forms like rōf and related Old High German words. In that sense, the name would originally have been a nickname for someone thought of as famous, notable, or illustrious. Some 19th-century writers also mention forms linked with "roof" in the literal sense, but for this surname the fame-based derivation is usually treated as the main one.
History
The form appears in older records as Roof, Roofe, and Rooff. Historical surname writers also compare it with related names such as Ruf and Rode/Road, showing how spelling could shift over time. Because the name is short and phonetically simple, later scribes may sometimes have normalized or altered it in ways that blur its earliest form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One old source explicitly glosses the root behind Roof as meaning “famous, renowned,” which is why this very plain-looking surname may once have carried a rather lofty sense.
From the historical record
“Cp. Rode, Road". ROOF ROOFE ROOFF. 2 Famous, Renowned [O.E. and O.Sax. r6f = O.H.Ger. ruof, for older *hruof(f (mod. H.Ger. ruf, fame, etc.] 3 the French Ruf = the Red, Red-”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)