2000
#1,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.35
Uncommon Last name
Russ
A nickname derived from the given name Russell, which means "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned" in Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,652 Americans carry the last name Russ. That puts it at #2,432 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,583 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Russ surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Russ with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,583
Census rank
#2,432
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,521 bearers of the surname Russ in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2432nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Russ, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Russ
The surname Russ has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon regions of Britain. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "read," meaning "red," and was likely given as a nickname to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. The name is thought to have first appeared in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Several individuals with the surname Russ or variations such as Rede or Rudde are listed as landowners or tenants.
During the Middle Ages, the name Russ was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Lincolnshire. It is also closely associated with the town of Rushden in Northamptonshire, which likely took its name from the Old English "Rysedene," meaning "valley of rushes."
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Russ include John Russ (c. 1485-1550), a English Catholic priest and author who was martyred during the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent individual was Martin Russ (1521-1581), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism.
In the arts, the name is associated with the English painter and engraver Norman Russ (1858-1909), known for his landscapes and maritime scenes. The American author and historian Willard Russ III (1929-2009) was renowned for his work on the history of the American West and Native American culture.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert Russ, a knight who fought alongside Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade in the 12th century. Another historical figure was Sir John Russ, a prominent English landowner and soldier who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Russ
Among Census respondents with the surname Russ, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Russ bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Russ surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.7% · 10,126
- Black or African American22.0% · 3,195
- Two or more races4.2% · 614
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 424
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 69
Timeline
Historical Census data for Russ
Russ appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,300
-836 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 5.53
Rank movement Down 306 places
2020
#2,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,521
-1,779 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 4.86
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,931 | 17,136 | 6.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,237 | 16,300 | 5.53 | -836 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 306 places |
| 2020 | #2,432 | 14,521 | 4.86 | -1,779 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 195 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Russ surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,237 | #2,432 | -8.7% |
| Count | 16,300 | 14,521 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.53 | 4.86 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Russ bearers went from 16,300 to 14,521 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,237 to #2,432.
FAQ
Russ surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Russ?
Name Census estimates that about 16,652 living Americans carry the surname Russ. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,583 residents.
How common is Russ?
Russ ranks #2,432 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,521 people with the surname Russ. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Russ.
Has Russ become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Russ went from 16,300 recorded bearers to 14,521. That is a decrease of 1,779 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,237 to #2,432.
What does the Census say about the background of Russ?
Among Census respondents with the surname Russ, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Russ in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.7% (10,126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Russ appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.7%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Russ (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Russ mean?
A nickname derived from the given name Russell, which means "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned" in Old French. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Russ (4.86 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Russ?
Find out how many people have the last name Russ on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.