Find out how popular the last name Russel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Russel.

Russel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Russel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Russel in America

Russel is the 7894th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Russel surname appeared 4,195 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Russel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Russel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Russel

The surname Russel has its origins in France, derived from the Old French word 'roussel' meaning 'little red one'. It is believed to have emerged in the 11th century as a nickname for someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Russel can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Rosel'. This influential document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and properties throughout England.

In the 12th century, the surname began to spread across Europe, with variations such as Roussel, Rousseau, and Rousso appearing in France, and Russel and Russell emerging in England and Scotland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Russel was William Russel, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Records indicate that he was granted lands in Dorset and Somerset for his service.

Another notable figure was John Russell (c.1486-1555), who served as Lord Privy Seal and Lord High Steward under King Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and the dissolution of monasteries.

In the 17th century, William Russell (1639-1683) was a prominent English Whig politician and a leading figure in the opposition to King Charles II. He was executed for his involvement in the Rye House Plot, a failed conspiracy to assassinate the King.

The surname Russel has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Russel's Green in Buckinghamshire and Russel's Water in Northamptonshire, suggesting that the name was well-established in various regions of the country.

Other notable individuals with the surname Russel include Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), a British philosopher, logician, and Nobel laureate, and Jane Russell (1921-2011), an American actress and singer who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Russel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Russel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Russel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Russel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Russel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Russel, please contact us.

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