NameCensus.

UK surname

Roose

A surname of German origin, derived from a short form of the given name Rudolph, meaning "famous wolf."

In the 1881 census there were 352 people recorded with the Roose surname, ranking it #8,718 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, down from #8,718 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Talland (incl. Looe Island) and Lanteglos with Camelford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Derbyshire Dales and Isle of Anglesey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roose is 434 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.8%.

1881 census count

352

Ranked #8,718

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

1911

434 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roose had 352 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,718 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 434 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Roose surname distribution map

The map shows where the Roose surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Roose surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roose over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 324 #7,179
1861 historical 331 #7,706
1881 historical 352 #8,718
1891 historical 389 #9,085
1901 historical 409 #9,338
1911 historical 434 #8,740
1997 modern 327 #12,784
1998 modern 342 #12,739
1999 modern 350 #12,609
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 321 #13,125
2002 modern 329 #13,167
2003 modern 316 #13,355
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 317 #13,376
2007 modern 312 #13,674
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 347 #13,044
2010 modern 349 #13,280
2011 modern 361 #12,800
2012 modern 346 #13,070
2013 modern 363 #12,815
2014 modern 365 #12,853
2015 modern 364 #12,768
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Rooses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Talland (incl. Looe Island), Lanteglos with Camelford, Amlwch, Llanbadrig and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Derbyshire Dales and Isle of Anglesey. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Talland (incl. Looe Island) Cornwall
3 Lanteglos with Camelford Cornwall
4 Amlwch, Llanbadrig Anglesey
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denbighshire 004 Denbighshire
2 Denbighshire 006 Denbighshire
3 Denbighshire 017 Denbighshire
4 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
5 Isle of Anglesey 001 Isle of Anglesey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roose

These lists show first names that appear often with the Roose surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roose

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Roose, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Roose surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Roose household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Roose is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Roose is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roose falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roose is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Roose, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roose

The surname Roose is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hros," meaning horse, or the Old French word "rous," meaning red-haired.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with variations of the name, such as Rous and Rouse, suggesting the name's early presence in England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roose can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Walter le Rous is mentioned. Another early reference is John Rouse, a 15th-century English antiquary and historian from Warwickshire.

The name Roose has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Rowse in Devonshire and Rouse Hill in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Roose throughout history include:

1. Sir John Roose (c. 1440-1492), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Roses. 2. Christopher Rouse (1949-2019), an American composer known for his orchestral and chamber works. 3. Edward Rouse (1676-1735), an English clergyman and mathematician who served as the Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford University. 4. John Rouse (1593-1677), an English Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of Harvard College. 5. Sir Peter Roose (1585-1670), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

While the surname Roose has evolved and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it was likely derived from occupational or descriptive terms related to horses or red-haired individuals.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roose families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roose surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 90 Rooses recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.83x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 90 22.83x
Lancashire 54 1.31x
Anglesey 43 69.68x
Devon 30 4.14x
Derbyshire 23 4.22x
Nottinghamshire 17 3.62x
Surrey 12 0.71x
Flintshire 11 11.75x
Staffordshire 11 0.94x
Herefordshire 9 6.30x
Middlesex 9 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 7 4.97x
Denbighshire 7 5.32x
Sussex 7 1.19x
Cheshire 6 0.78x
Isle of Man 4 6.19x
Yorkshire 4 0.12x
Somerset 3 0.54x
Worcestershire 3 0.66x
Gloucestershire 2 0.29x
Kent 2 0.17x
Royal Navy 2 4.82x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Amlwch in Anglesey leads with 39 Rooses recorded in 1881 and an index of 671.26x.

Place Total Index
Amlwch 39 671.26x
Lanteglos 26 1428.57x
Blisland 18 2727.27x
Kneesall 16 4705.88x
Stoke Damerel 15 29.57x
Plymouth Charles The 13 40.71x
Talland 13 1397.85x
Everton 10 7.59x
St Kew 10 763.36x
Camberwell 9 4.05x
Hereford St Owen 9 190.68x
Holywell 8 68.09x
Beeley 7 1627.91x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 21.34x
Brighton 7 5.91x
Holt 7 573.77x
Liverpool 7 2.79x
Ashborne 6 161.73x
Elton 6 967.74x
Fawfieldhead 6 800.00x
Lansallos 6 705.88x
St Endellion 6 437.96x
Burton Upon Trent 5 18.18x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 7.62x
Gorton 5 12.87x
East Looe 4 250.00x
Kirkdale 4 5.75x
Llanfachreth 4 645.16x
Manchester 4 2.15x
Maughold 4 80.16x
Accrington 3 7.99x
Bathwick 3 48.39x
Birkenhead 3 4.90x
Chester St Oswald 3 21.55x
Cromford 3 234.38x
Kidderminster Borough 3 11.27x
Liskeard 3 45.45x
Bangor 2 14.73x
Bristol St Augustine 2 18.15x
Droylsden 2 14.84x
Kensington London 2 1.03x
Llandudno 2 39.84x
Rhuddlan 2 24.27x
Royal Navy 2 5.64x
Shoreditch London 2 1.32x
St Anne Soho London 2 10.06x
Stretford 2 8.80x
Wandsworth 2 5.97x
West Looe 2 192.31x
Woolwich 2 4.56x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 1.66x
Birkdale 1 9.56x
Brotton 1 22.22x
Chesterfield 1 4.89x
Conway 1 36.63x
Exeter St Leonard 1 50.51x
Forton 1 140.85x
Golborne 1 18.55x
Hackney London 1 0.51x
Hawarden Ewloe Town 1 99.01x
Kingswear 1 172.41x
Lambeth 1 0.33x
Leeds 1 0.51x
Llanddeiniolen 1 12.15x
Much Woolton 1 17.83x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 15.65x
Paul 1 13.97x
Spitalfields London 1 3.82x
St Clement 1 24.33x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 10.13x
Walton In Wakefield 1 135.14x
Warrington 1 2.04x
Westminster St 1 7.79x
Ynyscynhaiarn 1 15.24x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Roose surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 11
Annie 10
Ellen 10
Ann 7
Jane 7
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Margaret 6
Hannah 5
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Catherine 3
Elizth. 3
Emily 3
Christina 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Catharine 1
Charlotte 1
Daisy 1
Elizbh. 1
Elizth.J. 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Jeanine 1
Jessie 1
Joanne 1
Judy 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Lavinia 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
M.A. 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Roose surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 40
John 32
Joseph 10
George 8
Richard 7
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Edward 5
Elijah 4
James 4
David 3
Henry 3
Robert 3
Stephen 3
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Walter 2
Cederic 1
Christian 1
Claudius 1
Cornelius 1
Edgar 1
Edwd 1
Eugene 1
Feredrig 1
Fitzroy 1
Franz 1
Fredrick 1
Gerald 1
Giles 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Leigh 1
Lleullen 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Owen 1
Pierce 1
R. 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Soloman 1
Solomon 1
Theodore 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Roose surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roose surname in 1881?

In 1881, 352 people were recorded with the Roose surname. That placed it at #8,718 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roose surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Roose a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Roose surname mean?

A surname of German origin, derived from a short form of the given name Rudolph, meaning "famous wolf."

What does the Roose map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Roose bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.