Russell
Russell was the 345th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 944 babies. Its best year was 1904, when it ranked 48th; the most babies were born in 1960 (7,487). Over the last ten years it has moved up 58 places. More babies were named Russell in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning little red one (red-haired) · Anglo-Norman, Old French
Say it RUS-ul /ˈrʌsəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #345 boys, up 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 944boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19607,487 babies
- Total since 1880
- 361,476babies recorded
What does the name Russell mean?
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)
Nicknames for Russell
The usual nicknames for Russell are Russ and Rusty. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Russell in the last five years, 5 were named Rusty, against 9 twenty years earlier. Russ is also gaining on the full name.
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Russells go by each one.
Russell popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,696 since 1892.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #345 | 944 |
| 2020 | #370 | 842 |
| 2010 | #405 | 699 |
| 2000 | #320 | 894 |
| 1990 | #142 | 2,212 |
| 1980 | #92 | 3,269 |
| 1970 | #58 | 5,106 |
| 1960 | #56 | 7,487 |
| 1950 | #67 | 4,945 |
| 1940 | #72 | 3,012 |
| 1930 | #60 | 3,101 |
| 1920 | #51 | 3,901 |
| 1910 | #58 | 615 |
| 1900 | #62 | 427 |
| 1890 | #95 | 182 |
| 1880 | #197 | 62 |
How popular is Russell, counting every spelling?
Russell is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #348 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #345 for Russell 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 Russell?
944 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Russell (0.26 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Russell 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 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Russell.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Russell?
About 202,300 people born in the US named Russell are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 44 and 69. That makes Russell 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.
Russell by state
How common Russell was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (3.0×), Idaho (3.0×), Utah (2.7×), Maine (2.6×), South Dakota (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Florida, Delaware, Nevada.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Russell: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Russell, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Russell · Sibling names for Russell
Questions about the name Russell
What does Russell mean?
Russell means “little red one (red-haired)” (Anglo-Norman, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Russell?
Russell was the 345th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 944 babies. Its best year was 1904, when it ranked 48th; the most babies were born in 1960 (7,487). Over the last ten years it has moved up 58 places. More babies were named Russell in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Russell a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Russell in the US.
Where is Russell most popular?
In 2021–2025, Russell was most common in North Dakota (1.52 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Utah.