Russell
Russell derived from the Old French rousel meaning "red" and was originally descriptive of someone with red hair. Early spellings were Roussel and Russel.
Select
Russell Resources on
The
Internet
- The Russell Family. Early Dorset Russell lineages.
- Kingston Russell. Kingston Russell and the Russell family in Dorset.
- Clan Russell. Russells in Scotland.
- Russell Family History. Russells from Donegal in Ireland.
England. In England, a
Dorset family (deriving from Rufus or red) became
prominent in national political life
for several centuries, coming to power and the peerage with the rise of
the Tudor dynasty. Their earliest traced ancestor was Stephen
Russell who represented Weymouth in Parliament in 1394.
These
Russells established themselves as one of
Britain's
leading Whig families and participated in every great political event
- from the Dissolution of the Monasteries to the Great Reform Act of
1832. And this family also produced the philosopher Bertrand
Russell.
By the 19th century the largest number of Russells in England was to
be found in London and the southeast.
Scotland and Ireland.
In Scotland, the Russell name has French or Norman antecedents and was
initially seen:
- in Selkirkshire on the
Scottish borders (the Russells of
Ashietiel),
many of whom distinguished themselves in military service in India
during the 18th and 19th century.
- and in Aberdeenshire (the Russells of Aden and Montcoffer)
In Ireland, the Russell name started to appear soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion and has been most numerous in Ulster and Leinster.
Lord John Russell was twice Prime Minister of England in the mid 19th century.
Dr. Charles Russell was a prominent Catholic scholar of the 19th century at Maynooth in Ireland.
Bertrand Russell was an eminent British philosopher, writer (winning the Nobel prize for literature) and, in his later years, a campaigner for nuclear disarmament.
Bill Russell was a leader of the great Boston Celtic basketball teams of the 1950's and 1960's.
Ken Russell was a director of popular English films in the 1960's and 1970's. He was of Dorset roots.
Willy Russell from a working class Liverpool background was the author of popular plays such as Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.
Select Russells Today
- 83,000 in the UK (most numerous in Kent)
- 70,000 in America (most numerous in Texas)
- 59,000 elsewhere (most numerous in Canada)
Select Surname List
For other surnames check the companion selectsurname.com site where there are to be found the history and genealogy for more than 500 surnames.
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