Origin of Russ surname in Sweden

[Tedi Marie Schilling]

Does anyone know of the Russ surname in Sweden.  Family history stories say Nelson Russ emigrated from Sweden, but am just starting research on the name.  Tack så mycket!

[Madelene Roos]

Hi, it could be from Gotland county or Dalarna county. I know of a Russ Jan (surname forgotten) presumably from Dalarna.
A Russ is the name of a kind of pony that has its origins on Gotland.
Madelene

[Tedi Schilling]

Thanks for the information.  Interesting what the name refers to in Swedish.

[Carl Szabad]

Tedi: Russ is either a very old extincted family name or not swedish. Noone of the swedes who died during 1973-1996 wore that name and it does not exist as a pre name either. The name Nelson does not exist in Sweden either as a pre name, only the version Nilsson (Nils´ son), as a family name.
 
To me it sounds british.

[Tedi Schilling]

Yes, you may be right.  The family stories may not be true that he came from Sweden.  Thanks for the input.

[Göran Johnson]

Only one person with the surname Russ exist in the telephone directory of greater Stockholm, none in Gotland. If it´s a swedish name it seems extremely unusual.

[Madelene Roos]

Hi Tedi.
I did find what I was looking for: got to: Landskap-Dalarna-Läs Dalarötter, nättidningen för dig som släktforskar i Dalarna, go to their read Guest book and go backward till no:58. His name is Kenneth Andersson and he may be able to give you a clue. He has an ancestor called Russ (which doesn't show in the guestbook). In Dalarna, if that is where your ancestor came from, it was ans till is I believe common to call a person after the place/farm  they are living. Russ would then look like a first name for example Russ Johan Nilsson ( in English Russ John Nelson)  
It can also be a soldiers name, Russ then being a sure name during his period as a soldier. Nelson(his patrinymikon, his fathers first name + son: Nils+son)and a first name. For example Johan Nilsson Russ (John Nelson Russ).
This person could also maybe come from Russia or have been there and then been call something like Russ??
Bye for now, Madelene

[Robert Hammarstedt]

Russ could be Ryss ?
Ryss is probably the swedish description of a persons (or his/hers ancestors) origin from Ryssland (Russia). The additional name Ryss is not unusual in Finland and some of them immigrated to Sweden. Russ could be a translation from Ryss (Ryssland) to Russ (Russia). I have some Ryss in my research used as a family name together with patronymikon, i.e. Nilsson Ryss.
Is Nelson a first or a family name ?
Best regards,
Robert

[Rolf Berger]

Hi!
Alluding to the remarks given by Robert Hammarstedt and Madelene Roos, I feel inclined to choose the line of the latter. I have found soldiers' names [from their rote affiliations within the army] like, for instance, Tysk (= German) and Jute (= Dane). These people were in no way connected to these nationalities.
 
However, Russ need not be identified with Ryss (= Russian). It could also mean 'horse'. Again, animal names could also be used for a soldier (with exactly the construction suggested, patronymikon + name) with examples Katt (= cat), Gas (= goose) etc.

[Torsten Daun]

Russ means horse in Gotland, You will find it in many names of places and parhaps evan as s sure-name.
Torsten

[Birgitta Nilsson]

The name Russ could come from the german surname Reuss. There are 1 Russ and 2 Reuss living in the Stockholm-area now (according to the telefonbook). You can find a lot about Reuss on internet.