Rouse
Originally a nickname for a red- or ruddy-haired person, Rouse is an English surname ultimately from a word meaning “red.”
The #1,330 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,642 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is a spelling variant of Rous, from Middle English and Old French forms meaning “red” or “ruddy.” Those forms go back to Latin russus, “red,” and were used as a descriptive byname for someone with red hair or a reddish complexion. Historical records show forms like le Rous and la Rouse, reflecting the adjective-like use of the name in medieval England.
History
The name appears in medieval English records in several spellings, including Rous, Rouse, Rouze, and le Rous. It was established in England by the 13th century and later became a fixed hereditary surname. Lower explicitly treats Rouse as a cross-reference to Rous, and Harrison explains it as the “red, red-haired” surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval examples show the surname used with French-style articles, as in le Rous and la Rouse, before it settled into a hereditary family name.
From the historical record
“ROUS I (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Red, Red - Haired ROUSE I [M.E. A.-Fr. rous{e, O.Fr. rous (Fr. roux -sse, Prov. ros), Lat. russ-us, red] , Jordan le Rous. — Cal Ing. P.M. Juliana la Rouse. — Hund. Rolls. In Malory we find the name with pre- fixed 'de la' — My lordes name is the duke de la Rouse. — Morte d' Arthur, VII. xxxii.…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)