Find out how popular the first name Rose has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Rose by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Rose is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Rose being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 2,237 female babies and 7 male babies born with the name Rose.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 7 baby boys were named Rose in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Rose

The name Rose has its origins in the Latin word "rosa", which means the flower rose. The Latin term derived from the ancient Greek word "rhodon", referring to the same flower. The name's linguistic roots can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European language family, with the reconstructed root word "wrdho" meaning "twig" or "branch".

In ancient Rome, the rose was associated with the goddess Venus, representing love, beauty, and desire. The flower held symbolic significance in various cultures and religions throughout history, often symbolizing purity, passion, and secrecy. The name Rose gained popularity as a given name during the Middle Ages, particularly in Christian societies.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rose can be found in the 12th century, when Rose de Vitry, a French mystic and Benedictine nun, lived from around 1166 to 1235. In the 13th century, Saint Rose of Viterbo, an Italian mystic and preacher, was born in 1235 and canonized in 1457.

During the Renaissance period, the name Rose gained further prominence. Rose Blanche, a French heroine during the Hundred Years' War, was celebrated for her acts of bravery in the 15th century. Later, Rose O'Neale Greenhow, an American Confederate spy during the American Civil War, was born in 1814 and played a significant role in the conflict.

In the 20th century, notable figures with the name Rose include Rose Kennedy (1890-1995), the matriarch of the Kennedy political dynasty, and Rose Parks (1913-2005), the iconic American civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1955, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Other famous individuals named Rose throughout history include Rose Fitzgerald (1890-1995), an American philanthropist and mother of President John F. Kennedy; Rose Macaulay (1881-1958), an English writer and novelist; and Rose Valland (1898-1980), a French art historian and member of the French Resistance during World War II.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Rose was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rose, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!