Russell
A nickname surname meaning “the red-haired one,” from an Old French diminutive of rous/rousse, “red.”
The #7,894 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,598 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from Old French and Anglo-French forms such as 'russel' and 'roussel,' diminutives of 'roux/rousse,' meaning red or reddish. It was originally used as a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. The deeper root is Latin 'russus,' “red.”
History
Medieval records show both 'Russel' and the more familiar 'Russell' in use, and the name appears early in English documentary sources. Historical writers also note its use as a color-based nickname, sometimes illustrated with references to a fox. The spelling without the second 'l' is a long-standing variant, though 'Russell' became the dominant modern form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old writers sometimes explained the nickname by comparing the bearer's color to that of a fox, which was also called 'Russel' in Middle English.
From the historical record
“Gilbert Kuss.—Hund. Rolls. RUSSEL l ( A.-Fr.-Lat. ) the Red, Red- RUSSELL ^ Haired [A.-Fr. russelQ, O.Fr. RUSSILL J roussel ■ v. under Russ, Rous, and -f the Fr. . dim. suff. -el : cp. Fr. rousseau, m., rousselle, i.i red-haired] Both Russel and Russell occur in the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)