An English and German surname, Rush comes from the Old English term of ‘rysc’ and the Middle English term of ‘rush’ which all refer to a person who weave baskets using the material from the rushes, the reeds and vegetation of the marshes. Spelling variations for Rush are Rushe, Rushman, Rischer and Rosher. The German spellings are Roscher, Rusch and Rosch. Along the eastern coast of England and to the north is the concentration of Rush families. Most live in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex where the earliest Rush families originated. In Scotland most Rush families reside in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Midlothian and Kirkcudbrightshire counties. Within the United States the Rush families originated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and New Jersey. Over the years they have spread into most of the mid-west and southern states. Famous: Barbara Rush (theater, movie and television actress), Geoffrey Roy Rush (award winning actor from Australia), Ian Rush (champion soccer player from Wales), Dr. Benjamin Rush (1776 Pennsylvania signer of the American Declaration of Independence), William Rush (19th century sculptor), Richard Rush (movie film director) and Kareem Rush (professional basketball player).