2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rougeou
A French surname derived from the diminutive form of "rouge" meaning "red" or "ruddy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Rougeou. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rougeou surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Rougeou in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rougeou, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rougeou
The surname Rougeou is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "rouge," meaning "red," and was likely a descriptive name given to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rougeou can be found in the historic records of the commune of Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre in the Indre department of central France, dating back to the 13th century. These records mention a certain Jean Rougeou, a local landowner and farmer.
In the 14th century, the name Rougeou appeared in various legal documents and land registry records across the Loire Valley region of France, particularly in the areas around Tours and Blois. This suggests that the name was well-established among the local gentry and landholding classes at that time.
The Rougeou name has also been documented in some ancient manuscripts and chronicles from the medieval period, although the specific references are somewhat obscure. One notable example is a mention of a certain Pierre Rougeou in a 15th-century chronicle detailing the exploits of French knights during the Hundred Years' War.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Rougeou. One such person was Jacques Rougeou (1567-1638), a renowned French theologian and scholar who authored several influential works on theology and philosophy during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent figure was Marie-Antoinette Rougeou (1732-1809), a French noblewoman and courtier who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette during the reign of King Louis XVI.
In the 19th century, Henri Rougeou (1812-1878) was a celebrated French painter and artist known for his vivid landscapes and portraits. His works are still highly valued and can be found in various art museums across Europe.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Émile Rougeou (1885-1962), a pioneering French engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of early automotive technologies and held numerous patents for his innovations.
While the surname Rougeou may not be among the most common in France today, its rich history and origins can be traced back to the medieval era, reflecting the diverse cultural tapestry of the French people and their language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rougeou
Among Census respondents with the surname Rougeou, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rougeou bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rougeou surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 105
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rougeou
Rougeou appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+9 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 675 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 675 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,799 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rougeou surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #143,511 | -6.5% |
| Count | 125 | 118 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rougeou bearers went from 125 to 118 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,799 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #143,511.
FAQ
Rougeou surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rougeou?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Rougeou. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Rougeou?
Rougeou ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Rougeou. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rougeou.
Has Rougeou become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rougeou went from 125 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Rougeou?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rougeou, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rougeou in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rougeou appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rougeou (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rougeou mean?
A French surname derived from the diminutive form of "rouge" meaning "red" or "ruddy." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rougeou (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Rougeou?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.