Explore the Family Name Rose

The meaning of Rose

1. English, Scottish, French, Walloon, Danish, and German: from the name of the flower, Middle English, Old French, Middle High German rose (from Latin rosa), in various applications. In part, it is a topographic name for someone who lived at a place where wild roses grew, or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house bearing the sign of the rose. It is also found, especially in Europe, as a nickname for a man with a ‘rosy’ complexion (compare 4 below). In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates and similar-sounding names from other languages, e.g. Hungarian Rózsa (see Rozsa), Slovak Róža and Czech Roza. Compare 6 below and French Larose 2. 2. English: from the Middle English female personal name Rohese, Roese, later Rose, Royse (ancient Germanic Hrodohaidis, Rothaid, composed of the elements hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + haid(is) ‘kind, sort’). 3. English and Scottish: variant of Ross. 4. French and Walloon (Rosé): nickname for someone with a rosy complexion, from rosé ‘pinkish, rosy’. 5. French: habitational name from (La) Rose, the name of several places in various parts of France. Compare Larose 3. 6. French and Walloon: from the female personal name Rose, from the name of the flower (see 1 above). This surname is also found in the West Indies and Mauritius. 7. Italian (Calabria): habitational name from Rose, the name of a place in Calabria. 8. In some cases also an Americanized or Italianized form of Slovenian Rože: from a short form of any old vernacular form of the personal name Erazem, Latin Erasmus, in which the syllable raz was altered to rož (see Rozman). 9. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish female personal name Royze, derived from the Yiddish word royz ‘flower’, or an artificial name from the same word. History: Noël Rose from Paris, France, married Marie de Monmainier in Quebec City, QC, in 1666.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rose in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Rose has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Rose was ranked as the 168th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 177th spot, a decrease of 5.36%. Despite a drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Rose increased from 146,924 in 2000 to 153,397 in 2010, an increase of 4.41%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a small decrease from 54.46 to 52.0, signifying a less prominent usage over time.

20002010Change
Rank#168#177-5.36%
Count146,924153,3974.41%
Proportion per 100k54.4652-4.52%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rose

In terms of ethnic identity, there have been changes among individuals carrying the surname Rose as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census. The White ethnicity still holds the highest percentage with 82.08% in 2010, although this is a slight decrease from 84.23% in 2000. Hispanic representation has seen the most significant growth, increasing by 51.79% over the decade. The Black population has also slightly increased from 10.86% to 11.61%. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those of two or more races have also seen increases, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained relatively stable.

20002010Change
White84.23%82.08%-2.55%
Black10.86%11.61%6.91%
Hispanic1.95%2.96%51.79%
Two or More Races1.83%1.99%8.74%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.52%0.72%38.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.61%0.64%4.92%

Rose ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Rose is British & Irish, which comprises 45.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish45.9%
French & German22.0%
Ashkenazi Jewish7.5%
Other24.6%
Rose

Possible origins of the surname Rose

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Rose have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom81.60%
Merseyside, United Kingdom81.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom81.40%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom81.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom80.90%

What Rose haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Rose is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-M467, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Green, Martin, Cooper, Brown, Lang, Wilson, Miller, Hill, Baker.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rose surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

rosePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Rose have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Rose

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Rose" Surname 42.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Rose

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Rose" Surname 28.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Rose

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Rose" Surname 23.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Rose

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"Rose" Surname 37.8%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Rose?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Rose are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%