From genealogical investigation it seems likely that all Rossingtons alive today do have a common ancestor. Of course this does mean that the only line of connection will be paternal, as there are known to be cases where the surname was passed from the mother to her child, and there are likely to be other exceptional cases - including some which normal genealogical study will not pick up. Furthermore, many possible links between older branches of the family could benefit from a method of confirming or rejecting theories, such as this project should give.

The name is usually thought to be connected to the town now spelt as Rossington, which is near Doncaster. However, genealogical research strongly suggests that the true origin is further south in Derbyshire. Rossingtons appearing in medieval sources may or may not all be related to more modern Rossingtons.