The Monroe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 55,136 people carried this name — #617 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,350 people counted. That is up 3% from 53,475 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Monroe surname

A Scottish topographic surname from Scottish Gaelic from Gaelic words meaning "foot of a hill".

From Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”) + Roe, a river in Northern Ireland, meaning "man from the River Roe".

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Monroe» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 31 people named Monroe live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 20
Entre Ríos 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Monroe was counted together with Munroe: 192 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,095 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Munroe, MⁿRow, Monro, Monroe, Monrow, Munro, Munrow. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 63
New York 28
Rhode Island 22
North Carolina 21
Connecticut 15
Virginia 9
New Hampshire 8
South Carolina 7
Vermont 6
Pennsylvania 6
Maryland 6
Maine 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 254 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Monroe in American newspapers,
1797–1874.

Newspaper page from The New Hampshire Gazette carrying the name Monroe
The New Hampshire Gazette 1797-08-22
Newspaper page from Constitutionalist And Weekly Magazine carrying the name Monroe
Constitutionalist And Weekly Magazine 1813-09-21
Newspaper page from The Ouachita Telegraph carrying the name Monroe
The Ouachita Telegraph 1874-02-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 25,953 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Monroe in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

4,828 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Monroe. The most, 1,413, date from the 1950s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,927
Queensland 976
Victoria 807
South Australia 450
Western Australia 307
Tasmania 232
ACT (Canberra) 81
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Monroe.

Who carried it

People named Monroe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Monroe
    James Monroe 1758–1831 · writer
  • Elizabeth Monroe
    Elizabeth Monroe 1768–1830 · First Lady
  • Joel Monroe
    Joel Monroe 1793–1877
  • James Monroe
    James Monroe 1799–1870 · politician
  • Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur
    Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur 1802–1850

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 231 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Monroe,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,027 records

4,027 records of the Monroe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,762
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 874
  • Other U.S. records 1,391
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Gregory James Monroe

    Born 1945; from Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ernest L. Monroe

    Born 1909 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at Rochester; factory foreman from Ontario County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Boughton Hill Cemetery, Victor, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Monroe

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; servant. From Queenstown, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 4,027 records for Monroe in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia58 records

58 records of the Monroe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 46
  • Tasmanian Names Index 7
  • Other Australian records 5
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert Monroe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1859 aboard the Black Eagle, aged 5; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Monroe

    Arrived in Queensland in 1889 aboard the Jumna, aged 18.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Amy Priscilla V. Monroe

    Of Sth Caulfield, Victoria; died 1974.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 58 records for Monroe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada49 records

49 records of the Monroe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 32
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 8
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Carlton Monroe

    Buried in 1993 at Lundys Lane Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

    City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Monroe

    Died 1870 in Port Morien, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Sterling Thomas Monroe

    Died in service in 1942.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 49 records for Monroe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Monroe name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Andrew Monroe

    Married in 1735 in Rotterdam; soldier.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register William Monroe

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1851 in Madras Br.Indie.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Jacob Monroe

    Baptised in 1641 in Delft.

    Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Monroe in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Monroe name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Minnie Gladys Monroe

    Died 1972, aged 73; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie Janet Monroe

    Died 1930, aged 75; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William David Monroe

    Died 1931, aged 86; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Monroe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Monroe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Monroe

    Born 1916 in Oullins (Rhône); died 1980 in Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Robert Monroe

    Born 1948 in Auxerre (Yonne); died 1980 in Lit-et-Mixe (Landes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Monroe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Monroe is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Monroe volume
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