I want to know my family tree. Where can I go to find the origin of my last name

Question:

I want to know my family tree. Where can I go to find the origin of my last name which is Russotto? Does?

anyone know a legitimate site where I can get this info? Free sites would be better.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Actually, your family tree and where your last name originated are apples and oranges. Both in the fruit family but different.
Your name MIGHT have originated in the 1300's in some village in Italy. That would be of interest... unless you researched your own ancestry, only to find an adoption some 100 years ago, and grandpa's name actually was Smith. Or, like many American names, it may have been something different that became Anglicized or varies in the spelling. This does NOT mean that someone at Ellis Island picked a different name, or they went to court and changed it. It simply can be a reflection of what people accepted as "correct".
Ancestry is only one of several sites that charge a fee. They do have some valuable resources, but for the most part, people go there hoping to find a "canned" family history, all neatly done.
There are a kazillion FREE sites that have information. One is www.rootsweb.com, with family files.. there are 46 entries for the name Russotto. That means SOMEONE is already researching the family. One shows Russia as place of birth, another shows Italy. You MIGHT be related to one of these persons... but without doing some basic research, you won't know. There also is a guide there, to help beginners.
Information comes in pieces.. a marriage record one place, a land record in another, a library might have a scholarly article about someone in the family. Many of these places won't necessarily be classified as strictly genealogical. Other records, ie family Bibles, personal letters, so forth are NOT public records, so don't expect to find everything online.
Obviously, I love the process of research, and enjoy putting in the time. It is the most reliable way to REALLY be sure of your heritage.