Rosse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

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The surname Rosse is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. In Scotland, the island of Rousay is located on the Orkney Islands and dates back to Neolithic times. The island's spelling evolved from "Rollesay" in the 14th century and "Rowsay" in the 16th century. But before migrating to Scotland, the Rosse family lived in Normandy at the village of Rosay.

Early Origins of the Rosse family

The surname Rosse was first found in Norfolk, where they were Lords of the Manor of Waterden and West Rudham where Lambert de Rossei was an under tenant to Earl Warren. They were originally from Rosay, Seine-Inf, arrondisement of Dieppe, in the canton of Bellencombre. Descended was Lambert's son, Walkelin who held Castle Acres, and then succeeded by Ralph de Rosei about 1270. They seemingly moved north to Fife where they were granted the lands of Rossie near Montrose.

Rossie or Inch-Brayock, is an island, in the parish of Craig, county of Forfar. 1

Early History of the Rosse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosse research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1245 and 1296 are included under the topic Early Rosse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosse Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rossi, Rossie, Rossei, Rossy, Rossey, Rosse and others.

Early Notables of the Rosse family

More information is included under the topic Early Rosse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosse Ranking

In France, the name Rosse is the 7,414^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Rosse migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rosse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas and Rebecca Rosse settled with their two sons in Virginia in 1623
James Rosse, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 3
Alex Rosse who settled in Virginia in 1650
Alexander Rosse, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 3
John Rosse, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1651 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rosse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Margaret Rosse, aged 10, who landed in New York in 1711 3
Catherine Rosse, who settled in Maryland in 1718
Frans Rosse immigrated to Philadelphia in 1753
Thomas Rosse, who settled in Maryland in 1775

Rosse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Rosse, who arrived in Mississippi in 1845 3
Eva Rosse, who arrived in America in 1849 3

Rosse migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rosse Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Wiliam Rosse, aged 16, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen Bee" in 1872

Rosse migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4

Rosse Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Henry Rosse, (b. 1604), aged 31, British settler travelling aboard the ship "The Dorset" arriving in Barbados in September 1635 5
John Rosse, who settled in Barbados in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Rosse (post 1700) +

James M. Rosse (b. 1885), American politician, U.S. Consul in Three Rivers, 1885-89; U.S. Commercial Agent (Consul) in Three Rivers, 1893; Chaudière JCT, 1898 6
Florence L. Rosse, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1996, 2000 6
Stéphane Rosse (1962-2024), French comic writer and artist
William Parsons Rosse (1800-1867), Irish astronomer