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

Russo, 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 Russo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Russo in America

Russo is the 715th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Russo surname appeared 48,696 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Russo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Russo 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 Russo

The surname Russo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of the country. It emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Latin word "russus," which means "red" or "reddish-brown," and was likely used to describe someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Russo can be found in a manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a person named Giovanni Russo residing in the city of Naples. Another early reference to the name appears in a land registry from the 14th century in the town of Amalfi, where several families with the surname Russo are listed as landowners.

The name Russo is also closely associated with certain place names in Italy, such as Russo di Puglia, a town in the Apulia region, and Russo di Basilicata, a town in the Basilicata region. These place names likely originated from families bearing the Russo surname who settled in those areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Russo. One of the earliest was Giovanni Russo, a renowned philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 13th century and taught at the University of Naples. Another notable figure was Niccolò Russo, a 15th-century scholar and humanist who played a significant role in the Italian Renaissance.

In the realm of art, the name Russo is associated with the painter Giuseppe Russo (1516-1592), known for his religious works and frescoes adorning numerous churches in Naples and the surrounding regions. Francesco Russo (1663-1735) was a prominent architect who designed several churches and palaces in Naples during the Baroque period.

Moving to more recent times, a famous bearer of the surname was the Italian-American actor and filmmaker Gianni Russo (born 1943), best known for his role in the classic film "The Godfather." Another notable figure was the Italian politician and statesman Francesco Russo (1908-1994), who served as the President of the Italian Senate from 1983 to 1987.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Russo

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

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

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

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