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Russells Family History

Russells Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Russell, Russello, Trussell, Fussell, Rossello, Rossell, Mussell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Russells family from?

You can see how Russells families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Russells family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Russells families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 8 Russells families living in Virginia. This was about 26% of all the recorded Russells's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Russells families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Russells surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Russells ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Russells. 50% of Russells men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Russells women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Russells were Salesman and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Russells | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Salesman
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    50%
  • Stenographer
    50%

What Russells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 737 census records available for the last name Russells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Russells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Russells

Passenger Lists

There are 78 immigration records available for the last name Russells. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Russells immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 751 military records available for the last name Russells. For the veterans among your Russells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Russells military records

You've only scratched the surface of Russells family history

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What is the average Russells lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Russells ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Russells

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