Russo
An Italian surname most often meaning “the red-haired one” or “the red one.”
The #715 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,340 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Russo is an Italian surname formed from the adjective russo, meaning “red” or “red-haired.” It goes back to Latin russus, “reddish, red,” a word that was widely used in medieval Romance naming. As with many surnames of this type, it likely began as a nickname for someone with red hair, a ruddy complexion, or perhaps a person associated with the color red in some other way.
History
Russo is one of the most common surnames in southern Italy, especially in regions such as Campania, Sicily, and Calabria. Like many descriptive Italian surnames, it became hereditary over time and was carried widely through migration, especially to the Americas in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because russo is a basic color word in Italian, the surname is closely related to surnames in other languages built from the idea of “red,” such as Red, Reed, Roux, or Roth.
From the historical record
“Ruskenuii-a.De. 335 Russo!!, 76.99,385 Rubticus. 374 Rute, 386”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States