Surname Rotaug - Meaning and Origin

Rotaug: What does the surname Rotaug mean?

The last name Rotaug is a German and Dutch surname, originating from the biblical Rotavich family. The Rotavich family are believed to be descended from the ancient Sumerian people, and they took the name Rotaug when they settled in modern-day Germany and the Netherlands.

The original meaning of the name Rotaug is debatable, with both ‘son of a rolling stone’ and ‘son of thunder’ being commonly accepted interpretations. In German, the name is usually spelled ‘Rottauch’, whilst in Dutch, it is more commonly spelled ‘Rotauch’, or just ‘Rotaug’.

The name Rotaug includes many famous figures in history, including the influential 19th century Dutch painter Albert Rotaug, who combined his love of art with his religious studies. There are also members of the Rottauch family line that served in the military during WW1 and WW2, standing defiantly in the face of the enemies of their countries.

The Rotaug surname is still alive and well to this day, with many individuals proudly bearing the name. Even with its unknown origins, the name traces back to a noble heritage, standing for courage and strength in adversity.

Rotaug: Where does the name Rotaug come from?

The last name Rotaug appears to be most common today in Central and Eastern European countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. It is also found in parts of South-Central Asia such as India and Bangladesh.

The oldest known record of the surname Rotaug is in 1183 when Rotaugus of Salzburg appeared in records in Austria. This suggests that the name Rotaug had its origin in a region of Medieval Austria, with the family likely having descended from the Bavarian tribe of the Marcomanni, a Germanic people.

By the late 19th century, Rotaug families had migrated to other parts of Europe, particularly Central and Eastern European countries, as a result of political unrest and migration patterns. For example, there are records of Rotaug families settling in Poland in the 18th century, along with Ukrainian and Romanian families in the 19th century.

The surname Rotaug is not as popular in the United States as it is in other countries due to the limited immigration of family members from Central and Eastern European countries during the early 20th century. Nonetheless, some families did find their way to the United States and the surname Rotaug is still commonly found in some areas.

Variations of the surname Rotaug

The surname Rotaug has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include: Rattaub, Ruttau, Radtaw, Rutau, Rotau, Rautaw and Rottaub.

Rottaub is the most common form of the name, with the spelling 'Rottau' also fairly common. Rattaub often appears in English records, and Radtaw and Rutau are forms of the name found in Germany. Rotaug itself is a rare form of the name that is seldom seen.

A variety of spellings of the name can be found throughout Europe. This is due to the fact that the name is not fixed and does not conform to one spelling. Early records often contain quite different spellings of the same name. This was often due to the lack of standardisation of spelling at the time, and the fact that spellings weren’t standardised across Europe.

Despite the high number of variants, spellings and surnames, the origin of each of these is the same. Rotaug is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word "rotare", which means 'to glisten, to shine'. When combined with the suffix "-au" or "-ag", the meaning of the surname is 'one who shines'. This is likely to have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a silversmith or metalworker.

Famous people with the name Rotaug

• Oleh Rotaug: Ukrainian professional football coach and former footballer
• Igor Rotaug: Russian professional ice hockey defenceman
• Alexander Rotaug: Russian historical painter
• Richard Rotaug: former Austrian tennis player
• Anna Rotaug: Swiss politician
• Julie Rotaug: French classical singer
• Lucien Rotaug: French classical composer
• Armin Rotaug: German writer
• Hajnalka Rotaug: Hungarian actress
• Roman Rotaug: Ukrainian sculptor
• Edward Rotaug: American attorney, author, and lecturer
• Jaroslava Rotaug: Czech model, actress, and beauty pageant contestant
• Lev Rotaug: Russian theoretical physicist
• Grigori Rotaug: Russian painter
• Anatoly Rotaug: Russian Olympic discus thrower
• Jan Rotaug: Czech modern artist
• Mila Rotaug: Czech ice dancer
• Mark Rotaug: Polish film director
• Michelle Rotaug: British television presenter

Other surnames

Rotauge