Rousseau is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Arts and entertainment Artists Henri Rousseau (1844–1910), French naive painter, also known as Douanier Rousseau Jacques Rousseau (painter) (1630–1693), French painter Jeanne Rij-Rousseau (1870–1956), French painter and art theorist Jean Simeon Rousseau de la Rottière (1747–1820), French decorative painter Philippe Rousseau (1816–1887), French still life painter Samuel Rousseau (artist) (born 1971), French artist Théodore Rousseau (1812–1867), French painter Writers and poets Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1671–1741), French poet Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), Genevan author and philosopher Nita Rousseau (1949–2003), French writer Architects Charles M. Rousseau (1848–1918), Belgium-born American architect Oliver Rousseau (1891–1977), American architect, real estate developer, and builder Musicians and composers Eugene Rousseau (saxophonist) (1932–2024), American saxophonist Frederick Rousseau (born 1958), French musician Jean Rousseau (violist) (1644–1699), French musician and author Samuel Rousseau (composer) (1853-1904), French composer
Actors and directors Jean-Jacques Rousseau (director) (1946-2014), Belgian film director Serge Rousseau (1930–2007), French film and television actor Stéphane Rousseau (born 1966), Canadian actor
Military Jeannie Rousseau (1919-2017), French Resistance fighter and spy Lawrence Rousseau (1790–1866), United States Navy and Confederate States Navy officer Lovell Rousseau (1818–1869), American general
Politics and government André Rousseau (1911–2002), Quebec politician and businessman Roger Rousseau (1921–1986), Canadian ambassador
Science Cecil C. Rousseau (1938–2020), American mathematician Denis Rousseau, American scientist Frederic Rousseau, Belgian molecular biologist Judith Rousseau, French statistician
Sports Alex Rousseau (water polo) (born 1967), American water polo player Bobby Rousseau (1940–2025), Canadian ice hockey player Eugène Rousseau (chess player) (1805–1877), French chess player Florian Rousseau (born 1974), French cyclist Gregory Rousseau (born 2000), American football player Jacques Rousseau (athlete) (1951–2024), French track and field athlete Maurice Rousseau (1906–1977), French Olympic gymnast Michel Rousseau (disambiguation), multiple people Odette Rousseau (1927–2012), French parachutist Vincent Rousseau (born 1962), Belgian runner Yves Rousseau, French aviator
Other fields Domaine Armand Rousseau, wine producer in Burgundy, France Isaac Rousseau (1672–1747), Genevan master clockmaker and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's father Michael Rousseau (born 1958), Canadian businessman Philip Rousseau, scholar of early Christianity Samuel Rousseau (orientalist) (1763–1820), British printer and Orientalist scholar Thomas Rousseau, Founder of American Neofascist group Patriot Front.
Fictional characters Alexandra Rousseau, daughter of Danielle Rousseau on the American TV show Lost Danielle Rousseau, a recurring character on Lost
See also Rossouw, an Afrikaans surname derived from the French surname