NameCensus.

UK surname

Rusell

From a ruddy complexion or the old French surname meaning "little red one."

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Rusell surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 26, ranked #36,254, down from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse and Gravesham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rusell is 348 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.7%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

26

2016, ranked #36,254

Peak year

1861

348 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 1911

Key insights

  • Rusell had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 26 in 2016, ranked #36,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rusell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rusell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rusell surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rusell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 142 #13,428
1861 historical 348 #7,339
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 322 #10,873
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 75 #30,471
1999 modern 64 #31,692
2000 modern 31 #34,798
2001 modern 25 #35,248
2002 modern 22 #35,709
2003 modern 22 #35,740
2004 modern 20 #36,053
2005 modern 18 #36,332
2006 modern 18 #36,412
2007 modern 15 #36,793
2008 modern 15 #36,843
2009 modern 22 #36,394
2010 modern 27 #36,153
2011 modern 22 #36,430
2012 modern 21 #36,490
2013 modern 22 #36,477
2014 modern 24 #36,358
2015 modern 26 #36,228
2016 modern 26 #36,254

Geography

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Where Rusells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, St Marylebone, Glasgow and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse and Gravesham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 003 Vale of White Horse
2 Gravesham 009 Gravesham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rusell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rusell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rusell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rusell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rusell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rusell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Rusell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rusell is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rusell falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rusell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rusell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rusell

The surname RUSELL is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "roussel" meaning "little red one." It was initially a descriptive nickname for someone with reddish-colored hair or a ruddy complexion. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire.

The name RUSELL has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Sir John Russell (1486-1555), a prominent English courtier who served as Lord Privy Seal under Henry VIII and Edward VI. Another notable figure was William Russell (1639-1683), an English Whig politician who was executed for his involvement in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II.

In the literary world, the name is associated with Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), the renowned British philosopher, logician, and social critic who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950. Another famous bearer of the name was Jane Russell (1921-2011), the American actress and singer known for her role in the film "The Outlaw" and her advocacy for adopting children with special needs.

The RUSELL surname has also been present in other fields, such as sports. Bill Russell (1934-2022) was a legendary American basketball player who won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and was the first African American coach in the NBA. Additionally, Kurt Russell (born 1951) is an American actor known for his roles in films like "Escape from New York" and "Tombstone."

The RUSELL name has been found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Roisill" and "Rosell." Place names like Russell Hill in Gloucestershire and Russell Square in London also derive from the surname. Over time, the spelling has evolved to its current form, but variations like Russel, Russill, and Roussell have been recorded throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rusell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rusell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 11 Rusells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 1.91x
Surrey 11 3.92x
Kent 5 2.55x
Worcestershire 5 6.65x
Kincardineshire 4 57.06x
Northumberland 4 4.67x
Sussex 4 4.12x
Hertfordshire 3 7.56x
Lanarkshire 3 1.61x
Yorkshire 3 0.53x
Angus 1 1.88x
Gloucestershire 1 0.89x
Leicestershire 1 1.57x
Shetland 1 17.01x
Staffordshire 1 0.51x
West Lothian 1 11.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southwark St George Martyr in Surrey leads with 6 Rusells recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.81x.

Place Total Index
Southwark St George Martyr 6 51.81x
Fulham London 5 59.88x
Fetteresso 4 363.64x
Kings Norton 4 59.35x
Lewisham 4 38.20x
Rye 4 434.78x
Croydon 3 19.27x
Rickmansworth 3 275.23x
St George In East 3 76.73x
Whitley 3 1071.43x
Govan 2 4.35x
Lambeth 2 3.99x
Aylestone 1 200.00x
Barony 1 2.12x
Bathgate 1 53.19x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 64.10x
Halifax 1 11.95x
Hardwicke 1 769.23x
Huddersfield 1 12.03x
Kensington London 1 3.13x
Lerwick Gulberwick 1 109.89x
Menmuir 1 666.67x
North South Gosforth 1 909.09x
Sculcoates 1 11.06x
St Martin In Fields 1 28.99x
West Bromwich 1 8.99x
Westminster St James 1 16.89x
Yardley 1 52.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rusell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Annie 3
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Amy 1
Charlotte 1
Elizebeth 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Henry 1
Jane 1
Lewis 1
Louise 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rusell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rusell households.

FAQ

Rusell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rusell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Rusell surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rusell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 26 in 2016. That gives Rusell a modern rank of #36,254.

What does the Rusell surname mean?

From a ruddy complexion or the old French surname meaning "little red one."

What does the Rusell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rusell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.