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Re: last name origin and meaning
in reply to a message by Marc
I agree, it's Norwegian and it indicates a place of origin. But it also may indicate a profession. Nes, Naze in English refers to a headland, usually marshy land along the seaside, glades, etc. However, it can also mean boarder, as marshy land that can't be tilled is both worthless and nearly impossible to fight in, much like the area between Egypt and Israel, the Suez or the Sea or Reeds. So, this name could refer to an area where the Norse once shared a boarder with Russia. However, "rus" means intoxication, ecstasy, transport, and jagged/crooked which could indicate that one of your forefathers perhaps owned a tavern along the seaside near a port, or perhaps more scandalously worked in the illegal transportation of intoxicants - a drug dealer. Names that seem pejorative were and still are often embraced by those so dubbed, because it means both renown and people have an opinion about them:"I'd rather be hated than forgotten," Marshall Jones"Hatred is gained as much by good works as evil," Niccolo Machiavelli Finally, it may simply mean you come from blondes of ruddy complexion who lived on a hill near a marsh.Research the names: Røsnes and Rösnes. These are the Norwegian versions of your last name. Perhaps if you follow the genealogy of these names, you'll find a more definitive answer.
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thanks for the input.
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