Rau (surname)


Rau is a surname with several origins.
An early form was a nickname for a hairy person, from the Middle High German rūch, rūhe, rouch, meaning hairy, shaggy, or rough. As a surname, it was first found among notable families in Saxony in the 13th century.
In medieval England, it was a variant of the given name Ralph. This derived from the Old Norse personal name "Radulfr", composed of the Germanic elements rad, and wolf. The name became popular after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when the Normans introduced the Old French form, "Raoul", as well as the Norman "Radulf" and "Raulf". The variant form "Rau" was reintroduced into England by French Huguenot refugees in the late 16th century.
In Sicily, Italy, it was a variant of the given name Rao. In France, it was a variant form of the surname Rheault, of French or Breton origin.

People

People with the surname include: