rau

Rau is a surname of German origin and a toponym used in several countries. In German, rau is an adjective meaning rough or coarse, and the surname likely originated as a nickname for a person with a rough appearance or temperament or from a descriptive place name.

As a surname, Rau is found among people of German heritage and in communities with German diaspora, including North America and parts of Europe. It is also present in other cultures through transliteration and migration, and may appear in variations such as Rauw or Rauh in some records.

Rau as a place name designates several geographic locations in different countries, including towns, villages, or administrative subdivisions. The name is typically unrelated to a single location and arises independently in different language areas.

In modern contexts, Rau appears in personal names and as part of institutional titles, company names, and cultural references. Notable bearers span fields such as science, sports, and the arts, reflecting the surname's widespread distribution.

The term Rau should be distinguished from similar-sounding names and terms in other languages. In linguistic and genealogical resources, it is often indexed as a toponym and surname, with regional variations and spellings.