Russo (surname)

Russo is a common Southern Italian and Sicilian surname. It is the Southern counterpart of Rossi and comes from a nickname indicating red hair or beard, from russo, russë and russu, from Late Latin russus or rubius, Classical Latin rubeus, "red".

Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 61.5% of all known bearers of the surname Russo were residents of Italy (frequency 1:277), 18.6% of the United States (1:5,429), 5.1% of Argentina (1:2,347), 4.6% of Brazil (1:12,345), 1.1% of France (1:17,406) and 1.0% of Australia (1:6,667).

In Italy, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:277) in the following regions:
 * 1. Campania (1:72)
 * 2. Sicily (1:123)
 * 3. Calabria (1:155)
 * 4. Apulia (1:205)
 * 5. Basilicata (1:213)

In Argentina, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:2,347) in the following provinces:
 * 1. Buenos Aires (1:1,034)
 * 2. Buenos Aires Province (1:1,657)

In the United States, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:5,429) in the following states:
 * 1. Connecticut (1:1,360)
 * 2. Rhode Island (1:1,384)
 * 3. New Jersey (1:1,433)
 * 4. New York (1:1,560)
 * 5. Massachusetts (1:1,920)
 * 6. Florida (1:3,605)
 * 7. Pennsylvania (1:3,637)
 * 8. New Hampshire (1:3,888)
 * 9. Louisiana (1:3,949)
 * 10. Delaware (1:3,981)
 * 11. Nevada (1:4,507)
 * 12. Maine (1:4,594)

In Brazil, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:12,345) only in one state:
 * 1. São Paulo (1:4,431)

Notable people named Russo

 * Aaron Russo, libertarian entertainment businessman
 * Adam Russo (born 1983), Canadian/Italian professional ice hockey goaltender
 * Adriana Russo (born 1954), Italian actress and television personality
 * Adriano Russo (born 1987), Italian footballer who plays as a defender
 * Albert Russo (born 1943), Belgian bilingual (English and French) writer
 * Alecu Russo (1819-1859), Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist
 * Alejandro Russo (born 1968), Argentine former professional footballer
 * Alessia Russo (born 1999), English footballer
 * Alexander Russo (writer), education writer
 * Alexander Russo (athlete), Brazilian track and field sprinter
 * Ana Bedran-Russo (née Ana Karina Bedran de Castro), an associate professor in restorative dentist
 * Andrew Russo (born 1975), American pianist
 * Andy Russo (born 1948), American college basketball coach
 * Angelo Russo (born 1961), Italian actor
 * Anna Russo, Italian writer
 * Anthony Russo, including:
 * Anthony Russo (American football), American football quarterback
 * Anthony Russo (director) (born 1970), Emmy Award-winning film and television director
 * Anthony Russo (mobster) (1916–1979), Genovese crime family figure
 * Anthony Russo (mayor), the 35th mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey
 * Anthony Russo (whistleblower) (1936–2008), involved in the Pentagon Papers leak
 * Antonino Russo Giusti (1876-1957), Italian dramatist
 * Avraam Russo (né Abraham Ipjian in 1969), Syrian-born Russian pop singer of Armenian origin
 * Bartolomeo Russo (1866–1941), New Zealand fisherman, horticulturist and farmer
 * Basil Russo (born 1946), American attorney, politician of the Democratic Party, and judge
 * Bill Russo (1947–2021), American former football coach
 * Cailin Russo (born 1993), American model and musician
 * Carmen Russo (born 1959) Italian dancer, actress, television personality and singer
 * Catherine Allison Russo (born 1976), American healthcare consultant and politician
 * Carine Russo (née Collet; born 1962), Belgian politician, member of Ecolo, and author
 * Charles-Édouard Russo (born 1980), French professional golfer
 * Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, American sports radio host
 * Cristian Cuffaro Russo (born 1988), Argentine footballer
 * Cindy Russo (born 1952), American women's basketball head coach
 * Claudia Russo (born 1983), Italian candidate for Miss World 2008
 * Clement Russo (born 1995), French road and cyclo-cross cyclist
 * Clemente Russo (born 1982), Italian Boxer
 * Daniel Russo (born 1948), French film actor, comedian and director
 * Danilo Russo (born 1987), Italian footballer
 * Danny Russo (1885-1944), American violinist and big band leader
 * Darko Russo (born 1962), Serbian professional basketball coach
 * David C. Russo (born 1953), American Republican Party politician
 * Deanna Russo (born 1979), American actress
 * Eddie Russo (1925-2012), American racecar driver
 * Elena Russo (born 1972), Italian actress of cinema, television and theatre
 * Erminia Russo (born 1964), Canadian volleyball player
 * Evandro Russo Ramos (born 1985), Brazilian footballer
 * Federico Russo (born 1997), Italian actor
 * Felice Angelo "Felix" Russo (1926–2005), Australian rules footballer
 * Ferdinando Russo (1866–1927), Italian journalist and dialect poet from Naples
 * Francesco Russo (born 1981), Italian footballer
 * Francois Russo (born 1966), the creative director and founder of Maison Takuya
 * Frederick Dello Russo, American politician and funeral director
 * George Russo (born 1980), English actor
 * Giacomo Russo (1937-1967), Italian racing driver
 * Giada Russo (born 1997), Italian figure skater
 * Gianni Russo (born 1943), American actor and singer
 * Giovanni Russo (or Dovani Roso; born 1972), Croatian-born Israeli former footballer
 * Giuni Russo (1951–2004), Italian singer-songwriter
 * Giuseppe Genco Russo (1893-1976), Italian mafioso
 * Giuseppe Russo (born 1983), Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder
 * Gus Russo, American author and researcher of the assassination of John F. Kennedy
 * James Russo (born 1953), American film and television actor
 * Jamie Russo (born 1981), Australian former professional rugby league footballer
 * Jason Russo
 * Jeff Russo (born 1969), American composer and music producer
 * Jonathan Judge-Russo (born 1983), American actor and producer
 * Joe Russo, including:
 * Joe Russo (director) (born 1971), an Emmy Award-winning film and television director
 * Joe Russo (racing driver) (1901–1934), an American auto racer active in the 1930s
 * Joe Russo (musician) (b. 1976), a jazz/rock and roll drummer
 * John Russo, including:
 * John F. Russo (1933–2017), politician from New Jersey
 * John A. Russo (born 1939), American screenwriter and film director
 * John Russo (baseball) (born 1973), baseball coach
 * José Luis Russo (born 1958), Uruguayan former footballer
 * Julee Russo (also known as Julee Rosso), American cook and food writer
 * Justin Russo (born 1976), American musician
 * Kevin Russo (born 1984), American former professional baseball player
 * Kristin Russo (born 1980), American speaker, personality, and LGBTQ activist
 * Laura Garcia Moreno Russo (1915-2001), Brazilian librarian
 * Luciano Russo, Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See
 * Lucio F. Russo, American politician
 * Lucio Russo, Italian historian of science
 * Lucio F. Russo (1912–2004), American lawyer and politician
 * Luigi Fontana Russo (1868-1953),Italian economist and lecturer
 * Marcella Russo, Australian actress
 * Marcelo Fabián Méndez Russo (born 1981), Uruguayan former footballer
 * Marcelo Russo Guerreiro Correia (born 1993), Portuguese footballer
 * Margaret Russo (1931–2006), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
 * Mariné Russo (born 1980), Argentine former field hockey player
 * Marcella Russo, Australian actress
 * Marco Russo (born 1982), Italian footballer
 * Marisabina Russo (née Stark), a children's book author and illustrator
 * Marius Russo (1915-2005), American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball
 * Martin A. Russo (born 1944), a U.S. Democratic politician and lobbyist
 * Martin P. Russo (born 1968), American trial lawyer
 * Mario Russo (born 1967), Argentine politician
 * Matías Russo (born 1985), Argentine racing driver
 * Meredith Russo (born ca 1986/1987), American young adult and middle grade fiction author
 * Melissa Russo (born 1968), American television journalist
 * Michael Dello-Russo (born 1956), Argentine former football player and manager
 * Michael Russo (disambiguation), several people
 * Michele Russo (born 1986), Italian footballer in the role of defender
 * Michele Russo (bishop) (1945–2019), Italian Roman Catholic bishop of Doba, Chad
 * Miguel Ángel Russo (born 1956), Argentine former football player and manager
 * Monette Russo (born 1988), Australian former artistic gymnast
 * Nadia Russo-Bossie (1901–1988), a pioneering Romanian aviator
 * Nancy Russo (born 1943), American psychologist
 * Nat Russo (born 1970), American fantasy fiction author
 * Neal Russo (1920–1996), American sportswriter
 * Nello Russo (born 1981), Italian former footballer
 * Nicola Russo (born 1990), Italian football midfielder
 * Nicholas Russo (1845–1902), Italian priest, philosopher, Boston College president, and church founder
 * Orazio Russo (born 1973), Italian former professional football (soccer) player
 * Pasquale Russo (born 1947), Italian Camorrista and boss
 * Pat Russo (born 1941), American model
 * Patricia Russo (born 1952), American businessperson
 * Patti Russo (born 1966), American singer, songwriter and actress
 * Paul Russo (1914-1976), American racecar driver
 * Paul A. Russo (born 1943), American diplomat
 * Peter Russo (born 1959), Australian former rules footballer
 * Peter Russo (politician) (born 1955), Australian politician
 * Pietro Russo (fl. 1507), Sicilian mapmaker
 * Philippe Russo (born 1961), French singer-songwriter
 * Pietro Paolo Russo (1611–1657), Roman Catholic bishop of Nusco
 * Raffaele Russo (born 1999), Italian football player
 * Rebecca Russo (born 1992), American-born women's ice hockey player
 * Renato Russo (1960-1996), Brazilian singer and songwriter
 * Rene Russo (born 1954), American actress, producer and model
 * Riccardo Russo (born 1992), Italian motorcycle racer
 * Richard Russo (born 1954), American novelist
 * Richard Paul Russo, American science fiction writer
 * Robbie Russo (born 1993), American ice hockey defenceman
 * Roberto Russo (musician) (born 1966), Italian pianist and composer
 * Rosa Russo Iervolino, Italian politician and former Mayor of Naples
 * Russ Russo (born 1975), American film actor
 * Ry Russo-Young (born 1981), American filmmaker
 * Salvatore Russo (born 1958), Italian Camorrista and boss of the Russo clan
 * Salvatore Russo (footballer) (born 1971), Italian former footballer
 * Sarina Russo (born 1951), Italian entrepreneur
 * Sean Russo (born 1991), Australian swimmer
 * Santo J. "Sonny" Russo (1929–2013), American jazz trombonist
 * Stefano Russo (footballer, born 1989), Italian footballer
 * Stefano Russo (footballer, born 2000), German-Italian footballer
 * Tal Russo, Israeli general
 * Thomas "Thom" Russo, American record producer, engineer, mixer and songwriter
 * Tommaso Russo (born 1971), Italian boxer
 * Vanessa Rousso (also known as Vanessa Ashley Rousso; born 1983), American professional poker player
 * Vince Russo, American author, podcaster, professional wrestling writer and pundit
 * Vincenza Carrieri-Russo (born 1984), American model, actress, entrepreneur and beauty pageant titleholder
 * Vito Russo (1946-1990), American LGBT activist, film historian and author
 * Vittorio Russo (born 1939), Italian football manager and former player
 * William Russo (musician) (1928-2003), American composer, arranger, and musician

Fictional characters

 * Blossom Russo, main character on the TV series Blossom
 * Alex Russo, main character in Wizards of Waverly Place, and other family members:
 * Jerry Russo, her father
 * Theresa Russo, her mother
 * Justin Russo, her older brother
 * Max Russo, her younger brother
 * Dominic Russo, main character on the TV series Chasing Life
 * Billy Russo, Marvel comic villain
 * Ladd Russo, one of the main characters in the anime series Baccano!
 * Peter Russo, a character on the TV series House of Cards