Explore the Family Name Rossell
The meaning of Rossell
1. English (of Norman origin): from the Anglo-Norman French personal name Ros(c)el, a diminutive of Rosce (see Ross). Compare the double diminutive Roscelin, with which Ro(s)cel or Ros(s)el was probably freely interchangeable. 2. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Rosel in Calvados. 3. English: variant of Russell, with which the name in 1 above was easily confused. 4. English: habitational name from Rossall in Poulton Le Fylde (Lancashire). The etymology of the placename may derive from Old Norse hross ‘horse’ + hali ‘tail’, in the sense ‘narrow strip of land’, or from a British word related to Welsh rhos ‘moor, heath, plain’ + Old English halh ‘nook, corner of land’. The land is low-lying and level, forming a headland between the Wyre and the sea. The name was easily confused with Russell. 5. English: perhaps a habitational name from Rossall (Shropshire), probably from Old English hros ‘horse’ + halh. It is not clear whether this surname has survived into modern times. 6. Catalan: nickname for someone with red hair, from a diminutive of ros ‘red’. 7. Catalan: possibly also a habitational name from Rossell, a town in Castelló de la Plana. 8. Americanized form of German, French, Dutch, and Flemish Rossel or of its German archaic variant Roszel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rossell in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Rossell had a slight decrease in rank popularity between 2000 and 2010, falling from 20191 to 20829, a -3.16% change. Despite the drop, the count of individuals with the Rossell surname slightly increased by 3.26% from 1227 to 1267. The proportion of people named Rossell per 100,000 also decreased by -4.44%, going from 0.45 in 2000 to 0.43 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,191 | #20,829 | -3.16% |
| Count | 1,227 | 1,267 | 3.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.45 | 0.43 | -4.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rossell
The same Decennial U.S. Census data shows an interesting shift in ethnic identity associated with the Rossell surname between 2000 and 2010. White individuals with this surname decreased from 78.89% in 2000 to 69.30% in 2010, a -12.16% change. Conversely, individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 72.18%, climbing from 11.00% in 2000 to 18.94% in 2010. Those identifying as Black also saw a slight increase of 10.53%, moving from 8.64% to 9.55%. Notably, there were no instances of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native reported in 2000, but both groups appeared in 2010, each making up 0.47% of the Rossells. There was also a 55.56% increase in Rossells identifying as two or more races, from 0.81% in 2000 to 1.26% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.89% | 69.3% | -12.16% |
| Hispanic | 11% | 18.94% | 72.18% |
| Black | 8.64% | 9.55% | 10.53% |
| Two or More Races | 0.81% | 1.26% | 55.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.47% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.47% | 0% |