2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rouss
A surname derived from the French topographic name meaning someone who lived near a red-colored area or reddish soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Rouss. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rouss 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Rouss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rouss
The surname Rouss originated in France during the medieval period, deriving from the Old French word "rous" or "roux," which means "red-haired." It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with reddish hair or complexion. This surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, including areas like Normandy and Brittany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rouss can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Radulfus Russus" (Ralph the Red) is believed to refer to an individual with the surname Rouss or a variation thereof.
During the 12th century, the name appears in various historical records and documents. For example, in 1154, a nobleman named Hugues Rouss is mentioned in the cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. Another notable figure from this era is Robert Rouss, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the command of King Philip II of France.
In the 13th century, the surname Rouss can be found in several English records, possibly due to the Norman conquest of England. One such example is Thomas Rouss, who is listed as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.
The 14th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the surname Rouss. In 1328, a cleric named John Rouss is mentioned in the Patent Rolls of Edward III. Additionally, a merchant named William Rouss is recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1380.
Moving into the 15th century, the surname Rouss continued to gain prominence. One notable figure was Jean Rouss, a French scholar and theologian who lived from approximately 1420 to 1492. He served as the chancellor of the University of Paris and was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
Throughout history, the surname Rouss has undergone various spelling variations, including Rouse, Rous, Roos, Rousse, and Rousseau. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
While the surname Rouss has its roots in France, it has also been embraced by individuals of different nationalities over the centuries, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rouss
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rouss 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 Rouss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rouss
Rouss 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+12 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,800 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,846 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 2,800 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,846 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 Rouss 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 | #142,108 | #147,954 | -4.1% |
| Count | 117 | 112 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rouss bearers went from 117 to 112 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,846 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,954.
FAQ
Rouss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rouss?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Rouss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Rouss?
Rouss ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Rouss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Rouss.
Has Rouss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rouss went from 117 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Rouss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rouss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Rouss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rouss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (7.1%), Black (1.8%). 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 Rouss (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 Rouss mean?
A surname derived from the French topographic name meaning someone who lived near a red-colored area or reddish soil. 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 Rouss (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 Americans have the surname Rouss?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.