Etymology & Historical Origin-Roxanne. Roxanne is the English and French form of an ancient Greek name Roxana (ρωξάνη) which was ultimately derived from the Bactrian-Persian Roshanak (روشنک) meaning “dawn” (or “bright, radiant one”).oxanne is the English and French form of an ancient Greek name Roxana (ρωξάνη) which was ultimately derived from the Bactrian-Persian Roshanak (روشنک) meaning “dawn” (or “bright, radiant one”).