Rose

Rose is an English and French given name derived from the Latin rosa, itself borrowed from Greek, ultimately tracing to a Mediterranean or Near Eastern source referring to the flowering shrub of the genus Rosa. The name was used throughout medieval Europe both as a straightforward nature name and as a Latinized form of Germanic names containing the element hrod, meaning fame, such as Rohese or Roese brought to England by the Normans. Its association with the flower made it a perennial favorite, reinforced by the Virgin Mary's symbolic connection to the rose in Catholic tradition, and by Saint Rose of Lima, the first canonized saint of the Americas. Related forms include Rosa, Rosalie, Rosalia, Rosemary, Rosie, and Rosamund.