Rusco History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Rusco family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Rusco family originally lived in Cornwall. Their name, however, derives from the Old Norse roscowe, meaning roe-buck-wood, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a stand of such timber.

Early Origins of the Rusco family

The surname Rusco was first found in Cornwall where they were Lords of the manor of Roscrowe. 1 There is some disagreement about the earliest reference of the name as one reference claims "I feel sure it is a Lancashire local surname, although I cannot find the spot." 2 This source continues on with the earliest record of Gilbert Roscoe, of Exton as recorded in the Wills at Chester in 1303. Continuing in the same register, he noted James Roscoe of Farnworth, in 1303 and James Roscow of Leigh in 1504. 2

Back in Cornwall, Roscrowe is an estate in the parish of Gluvias in Cornwall which was held by the family in the 14th century and became extinct during the time of Henry I. 1

"Roscrow, [in the parish of St. Gluvias] according to Hals, gave name to a family of gentlemen at a very early period, of whom it became and continued the seat, until the reign of Henry VI. when the family of Roscrow became extinct in the male line. According to Tonkin, Thomas Harry, who settled at this place, in the reign of Henry VIII. took the name of Roscrow, and in succeeding years his grandson sold the barton to Samuel Pendarves, Esq." 3

Early History of the Rusco family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rusco research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rusco History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rusco Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Roscoe, Roscrowe, Roscrow, Rosecrowe, Roscow and others.

Early Notables of the Rusco family

More information is included under the topic Early Rusco Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rusco migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Rusco:

Rusco Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Rusco, aged 51, from Essex, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 4
Mrs. Rebecca Rusco, aged 40, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 5
Miss Sara Rusco, aged 9, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 5
Miss Marie Rusco, aged 7, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 5
Mr. Samuel Rusco, aged 5, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rusco (post 1700) +

Kathryn Rusco, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Nevada, 2000 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html