Explore the Family Name Roux
The meaning of Roux
French: 1. nickname for a red-haired man, from Old French ro(u)s ‘red’ (from Latin russeus). 2. sometimes also a habitational name from (Le) Roux, the name of several places in various parts of France. This surname (in any of the two possible senses; see also 1 above) is also established in South Africa. Compare Leroux. History: Many of the South African bearers of the surname Roux trace their origin to Paul Roux, a Huguenot from Orange, France, who arrived in the Dutch Cape Colony via the Netherlands in 1688. He is recognized as a French Huguenot ancestor by the Huguenot Society of South Africa. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Andre, Normand, Adrien, Emile, Jacques, Marcel, Michel, Pierre, Rejean, Cecile, Clovis.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Roux in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Roux has experienced a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Roux was ranked as the 10,037th most common surname in the U.S., while in 2010 it climbed to the rank of 9,594, marking a change of 4.41%. The number of people bearing the surname also rose from 2,962 in 2000 to 3,387 in 2010, an increase of 14.35%. The proportion of individuals with the surname Roux per 100,000 residents increased by 4.55%, from 1.1 in 2000 to 1.15 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,037 | #9,594 | 4.41% |
| Count | 2,962 | 3,387 | 14.35% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.1 | 1.15 | 4.55% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Roux
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Roux underwent some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The white population had the highest percentage with the surname at 85% in 2010, down from 87.88% in 2000. The Black community saw a rise in the number of people with this surname by 10.19%, reaching 5.73% in 2010. The Hispanic representation also grew by 17.23%, totaling 3.13% in 2010. Meanwhile, the surname appeared among the Asian/Pacific Islander population and American Indian and Alaskan Native population for the first time in 2010, with proportions of 3.54% and 0.50% respectively. Conversely, those identifying with two or more races experienced a decrease in the use of the surname Roux, from 2.53% in 2000 to 2.1% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.88% | 85% | -3.28% |
| Black | 5.2% | 5.73% | 10.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 3.54% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 2.67% | 3.13% | 17.23% |
| Two or More Races | 2.53% | 2.1% | -17% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |
Roux 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 Roux is French & German, which comprises 37.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (30.3%) and Spanish & Portuguese (10.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, North African, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 37.0% |
| British & Irish | 30.3% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 10.0% |
| Other | 22.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Roux
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 Roux have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 48.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 47.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 47.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 46.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 46.40% |
What Roux 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 Roux is R-L20, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L20 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z138 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Coons, Weller, Whiting, Storey, Zeller, Roth, Lorenz, Goodwin, Keene, Groves.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Roux surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Roux 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Roux" Surname 51.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Roux" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Roux" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Roux" Surname 14.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Roux?
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 Roux are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition