NameCensus.

UK surname

Russen

A Locative surname derived from the Germanic word for "Russian".

In the 1881 census there were 122 people recorded with the Russen surname, ranking it #17,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 160, ranked #22,694, down from #17,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Romsey Extra, Michelmersh, London parishes and New Forest (Lady Cross Walk, Whitley Ridge Walk, Rhinefield Walk, Wilverley Walk, Holmesley Walk, Br. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Norwich and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Russen is 178 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.1%.

1881 census count

122

Ranked #17,602

Modern count

160

2016, ranked #22,694

Peak year

1911

178 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Russen had 122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016, ranked #22,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Russen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Russen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Russen 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 122 #17,602
1891 historical 149 #18,420
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 145 #22,139
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 149 #21,866
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 152 #22,022
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 161 #22,187
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 163 #22,407
2016 modern 160 #22,694

Geography

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Where Russens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Romsey Extra, Michelmersh, London parishes, New Forest (Lady Cross Walk, Whitley Ridge Walk, Rhinefield Walk, Wilverley Walk, Holmesley Walk, Br, Boldre, Brockenhurst and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Norwich and South Norfolk. 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 Romsey Extra, Michelmersh Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 New Forest (Lady Cross Walk, Whitley Ridge Walk, Rhinefield Walk, Wilverley Walk, Holmesley Walk, Br Hampshire
4 Boldre, Brockenhurst Hampshire
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Norwich 005 Norwich
2 Norwich 007 Norwich
3 Norwich 001 Norwich
4 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
5 Norwich 002 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Russen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Russen

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

Challenged Communities

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

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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, Russen 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

Russen 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

Russen falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Russen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Russen

The surname "RUSSEN" is believed to have originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Russe," which referred to someone from Russia or of Russian descent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "RUSSEN" can be found in the Hanseatic League records of the city of Lübeck, where a merchant named Hans Russen is mentioned in 1387. These records provide valuable insights into the trade and commercial activities of the time.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various church records and tax rolls across different regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. For example, the baptismal record of Johann Russen in the town of Nürnberg dates back to 1472.

During the 16th century, the surname "RUSSEN" gained prominence in the German states, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such figure was Christoph Russen (1515-1592), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name "RUSSEN" can be found in the records of the German settlements in Pennsylvania, where many immigrants from German-speaking regions sought new opportunities. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname in the American colonies was Hans Russen, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1683.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname "RUSSEN" continued to be associated with various influential individuals, such as Johann Russen (1720-1798), a prominent merchant and banker in Hamburg, and Karl Russen (1786-1862), a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

Other notable individuals with the surname "RUSSEN" include Friedrich Russen (1818-1891), a German composer and music educator, and Heinrich Russen (1845-1923), a renowned architect and urban planner who contributed to the development of several cities in Germany.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Russen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Russen 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. Hampshire leads with 35 Russens recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.47x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 35 14.47x
Norfolk 33 18.18x
Surrey 19 3.30x
Middlesex 10 0.85x
Devon 6 2.44x
Gloucestershire 6 2.59x
Lancashire 6 0.43x
Warwickshire 3 1.01x
Worcestershire 2 1.30x
Dorset 1 1.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Norwich St Martin At Oak in Norfolk leads with 17 Russens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1545.45x.

Place Total Index
Norwich St Martin At Oak 17 1545.45x
Romsey Extra 13 902.78x
Brockenhurst 11 2619.05x
Croydon 8 25.06x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 27.54x
Manchester 6 9.53x
Norwich St Benedict 6 740.74x
Stoke Damerel 6 34.90x
Heigham 5 51.33x
Holdenhurst 4 62.99x
Lambeth 4 3.89x
Millbrook 4 65.68x
St Pancras London 4 4.21x
Alcester 3 306.12x
Battersea 3 6.91x
Norwich St Martin At 3 967.74x
Clerkenwell London 2 7.18x
Dudley 2 10.67x
Norwich St Clement 2 95.24x
Romsey Infra 2 243.90x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 8.42x
Camberwell 1 1.33x
Dorchester All Sts 1 270.27x
Hampstead London 1 5.44x
Paddington London 1 2.30x
Southwark St Saviour 1 16.47x
St Andrew Holborn 1 25.00x
St George Hanover 1 6.49x
St Mary Kalendar 1 200.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Alice 6
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Kate 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Laurretta 2
Milly 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Carrie 1
Clara 1
Diana 1
Dorrinda 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Forten 1
Hannah 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Maud 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Tamnor 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 8
William 7
James 6
Frederick 3
George 3
Henry 3
John 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edwin 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Benj. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Russen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Russen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 122 people were recorded with the Russen surname. That placed it at #17,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Russen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016. That gives Russen a modern rank of #22,694.

What does the Russen surname mean?

A Locative surname derived from the Germanic word for "Russian".

What does the Russen map show?

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