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 (meaning counsel or advice), and wolf (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:
 * Alan S. Rau, American lawyer
 * B. N. Rau (1887–1953), Indian civil servant, co-drafter of the constitutions of India and Burma
 * Christian Rau (known by the latinisation "Ravis"), 17th century German orientalist
 * Cornelia Rau, unlawfully detained immigrant to Australia
 * Doug Rau (born 1948), American baseball player
 * Gretchen Rau (1939–2006), American film set decorator
 * Heinrich Rau (1899–1961), East German statesman
 * Ines Rau (born 1990), French model, first openly transgender Playmate of the Month
 * John Rau (born 1959), Australian barrister and politician
 * Johannes Rau (1931–2006), President of Germany, 1999–2004
 * K. Ananda Rau (1893–1966), Indian mathematician
 * Karl Heinrich Rau (1792–1870), German political economist
 * Kereopa Te Rau (died 1872), leader of the Māori Pai Mārire movement
 * (1886–1966), Belgian sculptor and coin engraver
 * Milo Rau (born 1977), Swiss theatre director and playwright
 * Okka Rau (born 1977), German beach volleyball player
 * Reinhold Rau (1932–2006), South African natural historian and founder of the Quagga Project
 * Thomas Rau (born 1984), German Paralympic table tennis player
 * Tobias Rau (born 1981), German footballer
 * Virgínia Rau (1907–1973), Portuguese archaeologist and historian
 * Zbigniew Rau (born 1955), Polish politician, lawyer, diplomat and Minister of Foreign Affairs