What’s In A Name: Russell Edgington

This is the eleventh in our series of articles examining the meanings behind the names of characters on True Blood. For previous articles looking at Sookie, Eric, Alcide, Tara, Bill, Arlene, Lafayette, Sam, Pam & Crystal click here.

Russell Edgington

He does kind of look like a king, doesn't he?

True Blood‘s baddest vampire probably didn’t start life with the name Russell Edgington, but it certainly has an Old World feel. Russell was (and still is) a surname deriving from the French Rousel, meaning “little red one”. Most name books define it as meaning “red” now. As in blood red?

Edgington is an Old English name dating back to Anglo-Saxon tribes in ancient Britain and denotes people who lived in villages named Eddington scattered around the country. The name has seen several spelling variations, and at one time there was a barony in southern Scotland bearing the name. Although he has perfected his Southern drawl, Russell certainly does show an affinity for the trappings of English aristocracy – manor house, formal dinners, riding to hunt. Whether he’s an original Edgington or styled himself after an ancient British family is likely lost in the pages of history, but it’s a fitting name for the vampire King of Louisiana.

Next week: Sophie-Anne LeClerq