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Russian Family History

Russian Surname Meaning

Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) surname possibly Rusin or Rosseyny.

Rossiensky is a habitational name from a place called Rossieny, now Raseiniai in Lithuania.

Italianized or Americanized form of Slovenian Rusjan: derivative of rus ‘brownish red’ (compare Rus).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Russian family from?

You can see how Russian families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Russian family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Russian families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Russian family living in Middlesex. This was about 50% of all the recorded Russian's in United Kingdom. Middlesex and 1 other county had the highest population of Russian families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Russian 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 Russian ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Russian. 100% of Russian women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Russian | 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.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Russian family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Russian. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Russian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Russian

Passenger Lists

There are 521 immigration records available for the last name Russian. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Russian immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Russian. For the veterans among your Russian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Russian military records

You've only scratched the surface of Russian family history

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What is the average Russian lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Russian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Russian in 1956 was 48, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Russian

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Russian 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Russian family tree

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