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Rousseau Family History

Rousseau Name Meaning

French and Walloon: nickname for a red-haired man from a diminutive of Old French ro(u)s ‘red’ (see Roux and Leroux ). This surname is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium in Haiti and in South Africa. Compare Rosseau and Russeau .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Rossell, Rougeau, Rossey, Rossel, Rouse, Brousseau, Brosseau, Dusseau

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rousseau family from?

You can see how Rousseau families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rousseau family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rousseau families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 2,460 Rousseau families living in Quebec. This was about 97% of all the recorded Rousseau's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Rousseau families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rousseau surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rousseau ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur and Servante were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rousseau. 23% of Rousseau men worked as a Cultivateur and 15% of Rousseau women worked as a Servante. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rousseau were Cult and Modiste. .

View Census Data for Rousseau | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Cultivateur
    23%
  • Journalier
    17%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Cult
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Servante
    15%
  • Institutrice
    9%
  • Couturire
    9%
  • Modiste
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rousseau family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 77,000 census records available for the last name Rousseau. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rousseau census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rousseau

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Rousseau. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rousseau immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Rousseau. For the veterans among your Rousseau ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rousseau lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Rousseau life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rousseau in 1943 was 67, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rousseau

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