Roth is an English, German, or Jewish origin surname. There are seven theories:
- the spilling of blood from the warrior class of ancient Germanic Deutsch soldier
- ethnic name for an Anglo-Saxon, derived from rot (meaning “red” in pre-7th century), referencing red-haired people.
- topographical name, derived from rod (meaning “wood”), referencing a dweller in such a location.
- derivative from hroth (from the Proto-Germanic word for “fame”; related to hrod).
- locale name for 18th century Ashkenazi refugees to Germany.
- derivative from roe in the ancient Danish language to signify (of) a king.
- of the red colour of clay, as in pottery (Deutsch)
Note: Roth is not a Hebrew surname. Its origins are in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is a common name in Scotland and other English speaking countries as well as in German speaking countries. For historical reasons, the Jewish people merely adopted various established names, many of which were common amongst non-Jewish people in their respective countries.
The first English-language historical record of the surname ‘Roth’ appeared in the United Kingdom in Colchester and Essex public records in 1346.