NameCensus.

UK surname

Russel

A surname of French origin referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 2,063 people recorded with the Russel surname, ranking it #2,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 456, ranked #10,705, down from #2,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, Rutland and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Russel is 3,238 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 77.9%.

1881 census count

2,063

Ranked #2,134

Modern count

456

2016, ranked #10,705

Peak year

1851

3,238 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Russel had 2,063 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016, ranked #10,705.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,238 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Russel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Russel surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Russel 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 3,238 #891
1861 historical 2,595 #1,134
1881 historical 2,063 #2,134
1891 historical 2,038 #2,266
1901 historical 1,505 #3,408
1911 historical 769 #5,636
1997 modern 370 #11,666
1998 modern 348 #12,585
1999 modern 356 #12,456
2000 modern 340 #12,824
2001 modern 326 #13,006
2002 modern 350 #12,620
2003 modern 331 #12,944
2004 modern 371 #11,914
2005 modern 386 #11,493
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 395 #11,481
2008 modern 414 #11,160
2009 modern 448 #10,719
2010 modern 452 #10,880
2011 modern 431 #11,155
2012 modern 431 #11,047
2013 modern 462 #10,618
2014 modern 459 #10,731
2015 modern 451 #10,801
2016 modern 456 #10,705

Geography

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Where Russels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, Rutland, Stratford-on-Avon, Aylesbury Vale and Manchester. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 015 South Kesteven
2 Rutland 004 Rutland
3 Stratford-on-Avon 001 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Aylesbury Vale 016 Aylesbury Vale
5 Manchester 032 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Russel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Russel

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Russel, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Russel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Russel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Russel is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Russel is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Russel 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 Russel 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 Russel, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of 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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Russel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Russel 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. Lanarkshire leads with 233 Russels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.57x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 233 3.57x
Middlesex 164 0.81x
Lancashire 121 0.51x
Surrey 110 1.12x
Yorkshire 101 0.51x
Midlothian 94 3.48x
Kent 84 1.22x
Aberdeenshire 64 3.43x
Stirlingshire 58 7.80x
Ayrshire 51 3.38x
Fife 44 3.69x
Hampshire 43 1.04x
Durham 42 0.70x
Renfrewshire 41 2.63x
Northumberland 39 1.30x
Staffordshire 36 0.53x
Cumberland 35 2.02x
Lincolnshire 35 1.09x
Perthshire 34 3.76x
Gloucestershire 31 0.78x
Berwickshire 29 11.88x
Essex 29 0.73x
Northamptonshire 29 1.53x
East Lothian 28 10.49x
Morayshire 27 8.62x
Inverness-shire 25 4.15x
Sussex 25 0.74x
Angus 24 1.29x
Banffshire 23 5.50x
Glamorgan 22 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.77x
West Lothian 21 6.92x
Somerset 20 0.62x
Dorset 17 1.29x
Cambridgeshire 16 1.25x
Leicestershire 16 0.72x
Derbyshire 15 0.48x
Warwickshire 15 0.30x
Devon 14 0.33x
Channel Islands 13 2.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 13 4.46x
Argyllshire 10 1.78x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.82x
Shropshire 10 0.57x
Dumfriesshire 9 2.02x
Kinross-shire 9 17.66x
Monmouthshire 9 0.62x
Oxfordshire 9 0.72x
Worcestershire 9 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 8 1.48x
Westmorland 8 1.81x
Cheshire 7 0.16x
Anglesey 5 1.40x
Roxburghshire 5 1.37x
Bedfordshire 4 0.38x
Caithness 4 1.45x
Hertfordshire 4 0.29x
Isle of Man 4 1.07x
Nairnshire 4 6.50x
Orkney 4 1.80x
Berkshire 3 0.20x
Cornwall 3 0.13x
Kincardineshire 3 1.22x
Norfolk 3 0.10x
Suffolk 3 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.25x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.31x
Royal Navy 2 0.83x
Selkirkshire 2 1.10x
Sutherland 2 1.29x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.60x
Herefordshire 1 0.12x
Peeblesshire 1 1.05x
Ross-shire 1 0.18x
Wigtownshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 51 Russels recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

Place Total Index
Barony 51 3.09x
Carnwath 35 86.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 35 3.22x
Govan 33 2.05x
Lambeth 26 1.48x
Camberwell 21 1.63x
Islington London 21 1.08x
Slamannan 21 51.60x
Bothwell 20 11.31x
Dalserf 20 30.75x
Glasgow 20 1.73x
Falkirk 19 10.92x
Salford 19 2.70x
West Ham 19 2.16x
Liverpool 17 1.17x
Whitsome 16 413.44x
Bothal Demesne 15 104.53x
Chelsea London 15 2.47x
West Calder 15 28.18x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 4.01x
Berwick North 14 74.87x
St Marylebone London 14 1.30x
Abbotshall 13 29.16x
Auckinleck 13 27.84x
Chiswick 13 11.81x
Dunbar 13 34.73x
Paddington London 13 1.75x
Inverness 12 7.93x
Lewisham 12 3.27x
Paisley High Church 12 9.65x
Sittingbourne 12 22.10x
Cleator 11 15.23x
Elgin 11 18.06x
Millom 11 20.68x
Kensington London 10 0.89x
Kilmarnock 10 5.57x
Lesmahagow 10 14.51x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 9 13.18x
Cambusnethan 9 6.22x
Dundee 9 1.29x
Dunfermline 9 4.91x
Fossoway 9 102.86x
Hamilton 9 4.95x
Llandaff 9 7.71x
Manchester 9 0.84x
New Cumnock 9 34.42x
West Greenock 9 3.21x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 2.05x
Bathgate 8 12.14x
Birmingham 8 0.47x
Brandon Byshottles 8 10.65x
Downham 8 59.00x
Edinburgh St Georges 8 14.28x
Kendal 8 9.87x
Legerwood 8 207.79x
Lutton 8 150.38x
Sedgley 8 3.17x
Sheffield 8 1.26x
Stainland Cum Old 8 23.41x
Tooting Graveney 8 29.27x
Walsall Foreign 8 2.28x
Whitburn 8 18.24x
Bermondsey 7 1.17x
Bethnal Green London 7 0.80x
Bexley 7 11.52x
Culsalmond 7 121.95x
Derby St Peter 7 6.97x
Kilsyth 7 14.77x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.28x
Liff Benvie 7 2.47x
Limehouse London 7 3.16x
New Monkland 7 3.63x
North Meols 7 2.99x
Southampton St Mary 7 2.69x
St Andrews 7 12.89x
Staplehurst 7 62.00x
Warlingham 7 87.83x
Woolwich 7 2.76x
Wormington 7 1076.92x
Wuerdle Wardle 7 9.64x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 84
John 70
Thomas 51
James 41
George 32
Charles 28
Henry 27
Edward 14
Joseph 13
Robert 13
Alfred 12
Samuel 12
Arthur 11
Richard 10
Walter 9
Albert 7
Frederick 6
Fred 5
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
David 3
Ernest 3
Isaac 3
Philip 3
Sidney 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Jabez 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Samul 2
Tom 2
Ambrose 1
Atkin 1
Chas 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
F.M. 1
Frederic 1
Jabes 1
Jeffries 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Jobe 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Russel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Russel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,063 people were recorded with the Russel surname. That placed it at #2,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Russel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016. That gives Russel a modern rank of #10,705.

What does the Russel surname mean?

A surname of French origin referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

What does the Russel map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Russel 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.