A Scottish surname, Monroe from the Gaelic language was ‘Maolruadh’ which means the red haired one. The name may have originally come from Ireland, especially around the County Derry. Variations for Monroe include Monro, Munroe and Munro. In England a small scattering of Monroe families, most in Middlesex and the city of London. There are some in Yorkshire and Lancashire as well as Glamorgan in Wales. In Scotland the Monroe families reside in Midlothian, Angus, Stirlingshire and Ayrshire. Within the United States the northern states have the most individuals named Monroe. Those states include New York, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Indiana. Famous: James Monroe (fifth president of the United States), Marilyn Monroe (film actress), Craig Monroe (professional baseball player), Vaughn Monroe (singer and band leader), Robert A. Monroe (founder of the Jefferson Cable Corp) and Nick Monroe (tennis player).