Find out how popular the last name Roo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Roo.

Roo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Roo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roo in America

Roo is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roo surname appeared 159 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Roo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Roo

The surname Roo is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ra," which means a roe deer or a small species of deer. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for a person who worked as a hunter or a deer tracker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Roo can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a collection of administrative records from 1273. The entry mentions a person named Richard le Ro, indicating that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 14th century, the Roo surname appeared in various forms, such as Rou, Rowe, and Roo, in various parts of England, including Sussex, Kent, and Somerset. This suggests that the name was well-established and had spread across different regions of the country.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Roo. However, it does mention several place names that could be related to the name, such as Roeburn in Derbyshire and Roehill in Yorkshire.

One notable historical figure with the surname Roo was Sir Thomas Roo, an English diplomat and ambassador who lived from 1492 to 1557. He served under King Henry VIII and played a significant role in negotiating treaties with France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Another prominent individual was John Roo, a 17th-century English playwright and poet born in 1608. He is best known for his play "The Witch of Edmonton," which was co-written with William Rowley and Thomas Dekker.

In the 18th century, James Roo (1715-1789) was a renowned British engraver and printmaker who made significant contributions to the art of mezzotint engraving. His works included portraits of prominent figures and scenes from literature.

Thomas Roo (1783-1851) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Lastly, George Roo (1846-1920) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Pearce Institute and the Billhead House. His work played a significant role in shaping the city's architectural landscape during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Roo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Roo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Roo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Roo, 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!