Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1920

Russel

Meaning A male given name transferred from the surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,020 Trend ↓ Falling 26%

A male given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#4,020
among boys · ↑520 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Russel · +17% vs 2024
How common
1 in 63,262
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
394 babies
All-time total
16,622
#914 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Russel popularity over time

16,622 babies have been named Russel since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 73 73 7 – #584
1890s – 222 222 22 +204% #353
1900s – 352 352 35 +59% #311
1910s – 2,181 2,181 218 +520% #283
1920s 12 3,288 3,300 330 +51% #283
1930s – 1,835 1,835 184 -44% #379
1940s – 1,741 1,741 174 -5% #447
1950s – 1,802 1,802 180 +4% #504
1960s – 1,729 1,729 173 -4% #537
1970s – 1,168 1,168 117 -32% #625
1980s – 914 914 91 -22% #803
1990s – 550 550 55 -40% #1,224
2000s – 355 355 36 -35% #2,243
2010s – 261 261 26 -26% #3,001
2020s (to 2025) – 139 139 23 -11% #3,795

Where Russel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 26 0.02 outside top 500
2027 25 0.01 outside top 500
2028 25 0.01 outside top 500
2029 24 0.01 outside top 500
2030 24 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Russel

Russel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,020 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 16,622 American babies have been named Russel. Its peak came in 1920, when 394 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Russel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Russel?

The median living Russel is about 58 years old; half are between 42 and 70. An estimated 7,200 people named Russel are alive in the United States today.

median 58 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Russel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 27 #4,020
2024 – – 23 #4,540
2023 – – 14 #6,449
2022 – – 22 #4,672
2021 – – 25 #4,212
2020 – – 28 #3,795
2019 – – 30 #3,702
2018 – – 30 #3,686
2017 – – 30 #3,656
2016 – – 20 #4,911
2015 – – 20 #4,861
2014 – – 18 #5,221
2013 – – 27 #3,840
2012 – – 27 #3,869
2011 – – 20 #4,793
2010 – – 39 #3,001
2009 – – 31 #3,534
2008 – – 30 #3,633
2007 – – 29 #3,674
2006 – – 40 #2,870
2005 – – 35 #3,003
2004 – – 33 #3,061
2003 – – 37 #2,719
2002 – – 47 #2,243
2001 – – 37 #2,607
2000 – – 36 #2,612
1995 – – 53 #1,702
1990 – – 81 #1,224
1985 – – 73 #1,089
1980 – – 120 #803
1975 – – 126 #745
1970 – – 143 #694
1965 – – 151 #620
1960 – – 218 #537
1955 – – 186 #545
1950 – – 159 #543
1945 – – 177 #447
1940 – – 152 #469
1935 – – 167 #441
1930 – – 225 #379
1925 – – 340 #309
1920 5 #5,642 389 #283
1915 – – 305 #285
1910 – – 50 #363
1905 – – 29 #402
1900 – – 46 #311
1895 – – 18 #487
1890 – – 15 #506
1885 – – 5 #1,075
1880 – – 8 #735

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Russel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Russel?

The median living Russel is about 58 years old. Half of all living Russels are between 42 and 70 years old.

How many people named Russel are alive today?

An estimated 7,200 people named Russel are alive in the United States, based on 16,622 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Russel mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Russel in 2025?

Russel ranked #4,020 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Russel?

16,622 babies have been named Russel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Russel most popular?

Russel peaked in 1920, when 394 newborns received the name.

Is Russel a boy or girl name?

Russel is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Russel rising or falling?

Russel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Russel become more popular?

Russel is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 24 boys named Russel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Russel

Names that sound and feel close to Russel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Russel with similar names → More names starting with R →