ROE
Roe is a surname of both English and Gaelic origin, which first appears in the British Isles in the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. Its earliest documented form, transcribed in a feudal charter from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, is Ului Ra, dated to 1095 during the reign of King William I Rud. Subsequent records from this period display the name in the form le Roe or le Ro, as seen in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1170 for William le Roe, and in the Kalendar of Abbot Samson of Bury St. Edmunds in 1188 for Reginald le Ro.
The surname is traditionally classified as a nickname. One of its most frequently cited derivations is from the Old English word rau, meaning a roe deer, which would have described a swift or elusive individual, or perhaps one known for hunting the animals. A parallel etymology appears in the pre‑seventeenth‑century form roege, also meaning roe deer, further supporting the animal‑based origin of the name in early English usage.
Separately, Roe can also be an anglicised form of the Gaelic patronymic Ó Ruadh, literally “descendant of Ruadh”, with Ruadh translating to “red‑haired”. In this context, the name would have served as a descriptive surname for a person of red hair, and it indicates a distinct Gaelic line of the family, particularly in Ireland and parts of western Scotland.
Another possible source is a variant of the surname Rowe, derived from the Old English raw, meaning a row or line. Individuals bearing Roe in this sense were likely associated with a row of houses, a line of trees, or perhaps a particular linear feature of the landscape.
Historical accounts also cite a medieval nickname origin from the Old French word roi, meaning king. In this tradition, someone named Roe might have been perceived as noble or regal in manner, or may have earned the title in an informal “king for a day” competition at a local fête. Though less common, this aristocratic etymology adds to the diverse possibilities of the name’s characterisation.
The surname was also recorded under the variant Wroe in the early modern period, evidenced by the 1592 marriage record of Edward Wroe and Ann Arnoll in St. Stephan’s, Coleman Street, London. This spelling variant underscores the fluidity of English orthography before the standardisation of spelling.
Co‑ars of arms was granted to the name Roe in the heraldic records. The shield is described as blue, bearing three silver bucks courant, with a crest of a red stag’s head erased. The motto attached to the coat of arms is Tramite recta, which translates as “by a direct path”. This heraldic description associates the family with the imagery of deer, consistent with the animal‑derived origin of the surname.
Records from parish registers further confirm the surname’s presence in London during the Tudor period. For instance, Elizabeth Roe was christened on 27 September 1553 at St. Mary Magdalene’s, Old Fish Street, while the 1550s and 1600s contain numerous references to the name in various civil and ecclesiastical contexts across the city. These documents illustrate that the name Roe was not confined to a single region but was widespread throughout England, particularly in the capital and the surrounding counties.
Typical given names associated with the Roe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Roe in...
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There are approximately 11,538 people named Roe in the UK. That makes it the 797th most common surname in Britain. Around 177 in a million people in Britain are named Roe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Roe
- Alexander Michael Roe-Brown - Actor
- Louise Roe - Journalist
- Alliott Verdon Roe - Aviation pioneer (1877 to 1958)
- Mark Roe - Golfer
- Philippa Roe, Baroness Couttie - Politician
- Marion Roe - Politician
- Humphrey Verdon Roe - Army officer (1878 to 1949)
- John Roe - Mathematician (1959 to 2018)
- David Roe - Snooker player
- Phil Roe - Football player
- James Roe - Rower
- Pete Roe - Singer-songwriter
- Eileen Roe - Scottish racing cyclist
- Alban Roe - Benedictine martyr (1583 to 1642)
- John Roe - Football player (1938 to 1996)
- Brian Roe - Cricketer (1939 to 2014)
- Archie Roe - Football player (1893 to 1947)
- Peter Roe - Soccer player
- Charles Roe - Businessman (1715 to 1781)
- Paul Roe - Canadian soccer player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.