The surname Russell has a long and rich history, with origins dating back to medieval England. The name is of Old French origin, derived from the Old French personal name 'Rousel', a diminutive of 'Roux', meaning 'red' or 'red-haired'. The name was brought to England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, and quickly became established as a popular surname.
The Russell surname first appears in historical records in the early 11th century in England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a man named William Russel is listed as a landowner in Berkshire. The surname quickly spread throughout England, and by the 13th century, the Russell family had become one of the most prominent and influential families in the country.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Russell surname was associated with nobility and landed gentry. Many members of the Russell family held titles such as baron, earl, and duke, and played important roles in the political and social life of England.
Over the centuries, the Russell surname spread beyond England to other parts of the world. In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Russell families emigrated to the American colonies, where they played important roles in the founding and development of the United States. Today, the Russell surname is common in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
According to data from the World Names Profiler, the Russell surname is most common in Bangladesh, with a total incidence of 13070. The United States has the second-highest incidence, with 3155 occurrences, followed by the Philippines with 979 occurrences.
Throughout history, there have been many notable individuals with the Russell surname. One of the most famous is Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, logician, and social critic who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950. Other famous individuals with the Russell surname include George William Russell, the Irish writer and mystic, and Elizabeth Russell, the English actress known for her roles in horror films.
In conclusion, the Russell surname has a long and fascinating history, with origins dating back to medieval England. From its beginnings as a Norman personal name to its spread across the globe, the Russell surname has played an important role in shaping the world we live in today.
Globalization has meant that surnames distribute far beyond their country of origin, so that it is possible to get African surnames in Europe or Indian surnames in Oceania. Equivalent occurs in the case of Russel, which as you can corroborate, it can be said that it is a surname that may be found in all the countries of the globe. In the same manner there are nations in which undoubtedly the thickness of individuals because of the surname Russel is greater than in other countries.
The likelihood of examining on a globe map about which nations hold a greater number of Russel in the world, helps us plenty. By putting ourselves in the map, for a tangible country, we are able to begin to see the tangible number of people with all the surname Russel, to acquire this way the complete information of all Russel that one may presently find in that country. All this also assists us to understand not only in which the surname Russel originates from, but also in what way the individuals that are initially the main family members that bears the surname Russel have moved and moved. In the same way, you can see by which places they have settled and developed, and that's why if Russel is our surname, it seems interesting to which other countries of the world it is possible any particular one of our ancestors once relocated to.