Roo

♂ Boy

Pronounced ROO /ˈruː/High

Meaning: Roo is a one-syllable pet name rather than a name with an ancient meaning. Most families know it from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, where Roo is Kanga's young joey — and 'roo' is also everyday Australian shorthand for kangaroo. It is used for boys and girls alike, and often serves as a nickname for longer names.Low

In 30 seconds: One warm syllable, straight from the Hundred Acre Wood: Roo is the little joey of Winnie-the-Pooh (said 'ROO'). Used for boys and girls both.

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningRoo is a one-syllable pet name rather than a name with an ancient meaning. Most families know it from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, where Roo is Kanga's young joey — and 'roo' is also everyday Australian shorthand for kangaroo. It is used for boys and girls alike, and often serves as a nickname for longer names.

U.S. rank (2024)#13797

2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 5

History & Origin

Roo is a nickname that stepped forward as a name of its own. Its fame is literary: in A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), Roo is the small joey in Kanga's pouch, and 'roo' remains casual Australian for kangaroo. Parents also reach for it as a short form of Rufus, Rowan or Ruby, and it is used for boys and girls alike, which we note (said 'ROO').

It appears only rarely as a given name in the U.S. Rare, tender, and one-beat.

Did you know? Roo has been a bedtime-story name since 1926, when A. A. Milne gave Kanga a bouncing joey named Roo. It doubles as Australian shorthand for kangaroo — and as a nickname for Rufus, Ruby or Rowan. It's unisex, which we note.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Roo — Winnie-the-Pooh character; nickname name; unisex

Variations

RueRu

Nicknames

Roo

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Roo…

Rue— the same sound in a different spelling

Remy— a like short, soft-edged pick

Arlo— a like gentle two-beat storybook name

Ro— shares the -o ending

Reid— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Roo

By themeunisex short literary nickname

By meaningYouth

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Roo mean?

Roo is a nickname name with no ancient meaning; it's best known as the young joey in Winnie-the-Pooh, and as Australian shorthand for kangaroo.

How do you pronounce Roo?

It's said ROO /ˈruː/ — one syllable, rhyming with 'blue'.

Is Roo a boy or girl name?

Here Roo is used as a boy's name; note it is genuinely unisex and is often a nickname for longer names.

How popular is Roo?

Roo is very rare as a given name in the U.S., though common as a nickname.