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

Russell, 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 Russell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Russell in America

Russell is the 104th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Russell surname appeared 221,558 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 75 people would have the surname Russell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Russell 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 Russell

The surname Russell is of Norman French origin, derived from the Old French words "roussel" or "rousseau", meaning "red-haired" or "reddish-brown". This nickname likely described the distinctive physical appearance of an early bearer of the name. The surname originated in Normandy, northern France, in the 11th century.

The Russell name is first recorded in England in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documents a landowner named Ralph Russel who held estates in Yorkshire and Norfolk. This suggests that the Russell family arrived in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the Russell surname spread across England, with various spellings such as Russel, Russelle, and Roussel. Notable early bearers of the name include Sir James Russell (c. 1315-1371), a military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War, and Sir John Russell (1442-1505), a prominent courtier and politician under King Henry VII.

In the 16th century, the Russell family gained prominence as one of the leading noble families in England. Lord John Russell (1486-1555) was created Earl of Bedford in 1550, and his descendants held the earldom for centuries. The Russell family also produced several notable figures, including William Russell (1639-1683), a Whig politician executed for his involvement in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II, and John Russell (1792-1878), a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the 19th century.

Other famous individuals with the Russell surname include Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), a British philosopher and Nobel laureate; Bill Russell (1934-2022), an American basketball player and coach; and Kurt Russell (born 1951), an American actor known for films like "Escape from New York" and "The Hateful Eight".

In Scotland, the Russell name is associated with the Clan Russell, a Highland clan that traces its origins to the 12th century. The clan's ancestral lands were in Aberdeenshire, and their chiefly line descends from John Russell, who received a charter for the lands of Leden in 1293.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Russell

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

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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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