Russel
Russel was the 4020th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 283rd; the most babies were born in 1920 (389). Over the last ten years it has moved up 841 places. More babies were named Russel in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Russell) little red one (red-haired) · Anglo-Norman, Old French
- Rank in 2025
- #4,020 boys, down 225 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 27boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1920389 babies
- Total since 1880
- 16,622babies recorded
What does the name Russel mean?
Russel is a spelling of Russell, pronounced the same way, so it shares Russell's meaning and origin.
Russell is an English surname from a Norman nickname for a red-haired person: Old French rous, "red", with the diminutive ending -el, so "little red one". Wiktionary and Harrison (1918) both give the red-hair explanation. It came to England with the Normans and was the surname of the Dukes of Bedford. As a first name it has been used since the 19th century.
rous (Old French, “red”)-el (Old French, “diminutive suffix”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Russ, Rousseau, Rossell.
See also: French names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Russell', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'RUSSELL', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Russel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 12 since 1920.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,020 | 27 |
| 2020 | #3,795 | 28 |
| 2010 | #3,001 | 39 |
| 2000 | #2,612 | 36 |
| 1990 | #1,224 | 81 |
| 1980 | #803 | 120 |
| 1970 | #694 | 143 |
| 1960 | #537 | 218 |
| 1950 | #543 | 159 |
| 1940 | #469 | 152 |
| 1930 | #379 | 225 |
| 1920 | #283 | 389 |
| 1910 | #363 | 50 |
| 1900 | #311 | 46 |
| 1890 | #506 | 15 |
| 1880 | #735 | 8 |
How popular is Russel, counting every spelling?
Russel is a spelling of Russell, a name family that ranked #348 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,020 for Russel on its own. Together these spellings went to 971 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell | 944 | #345 | 4,443 |
| Russel | 27 | #4,020 | 111 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Russel?
27 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Russel (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Russel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 310 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Russel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Russel?
About 6,700 people born in the US named Russel are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 42 and 70. That makes Russel a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Russel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Russel, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Russel
What does Russel mean?
Russel is a spelling of Russell, which means “little red one (red-haired)” (Anglo-Norman, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Russel?
Russel was the 4020th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 1913, when it ranked 283rd; the most babies were born in 1920 (389). Over the last ten years it has moved up 841 places. More babies were named Russel in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Russel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Russel in the US.