Russell
Inherited from Middle English Russel, from Anglo-Norman Russel.
Every Russell since 1880 — 361,476 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Russell
Russell is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #345 in 2025 with 944 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 361,476 American babies have been named Russell. Its peak came in 1960, when 7,510 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
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 Russell stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Russell 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 | — | — | 944 | #345 |
| 2024 | — | — | 897 | #367 |
| 2023 | — | — | 815 | #393 |
| 2022 | — | — | 868 | #373 |
| 2021 | — | — | 919 | #355 |
| 2020 | — | — | 842 | #370 |
| 2019 | — | — | 804 | #391 |
| 2018 | — | — | 769 | #413 |
| 2017 | — | — | 790 | #404 |
| 2016 | — | — | 785 | #407 |
| 2015 | — | — | 769 | #403 |
| 2014 | — | — | 757 | #410 |
| 2013 | — | — | 672 | #433 |
| 2012 | — | — | 657 | #426 |
| 2011 | — | — | 707 | #402 |
| 2010 | — | — | 699 | #405 |
| 2009 | — | — | 646 | #434 |
| 2008 | — | — | 726 | #407 |
| 2007 | — | — | 712 | #411 |
| 2006 | — | — | 741 | #403 |
| 2005 | — | — | 731 | #393 |
| 2004 | 10 | #10,529 | 768 | #363 |
| 2003 | — | — | 811 | #343 |
| 2002 | — | — | 838 | #327 |
| 2001 | — | — | 925 | #307 |
| 2000 | — | — | 894 | #320 |
| 1995 | — | — | 1,205 | #240 |
| 1990 | — | — | 2,212 | #142 |
| 1985 | 7 | #9,060 | 2,571 | #110 |
| 1980 | 30 | #2,985 | 3,269 | #92 |
| 1975 | 22 | #3,232 | 3,232 | #82 |
| 1970 | 26 | #2,765 | 5,106 | #58 |
| 1965 | 17 | #3,132 | 5,645 | #58 |
| 1960 | 23 | #2,561 | 7,487 | #56 |
| 1955 | 15 | #3,073 | 6,539 | #57 |
| 1950 | 18 | #2,416 | 4,945 | #67 |
| 1945 | 14 | #2,431 | 3,806 | #64 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,391 | 3,012 | #72 |
| 1935 | 14 | #2,287 | 2,833 | #68 |
| 1930 | 27 | #1,528 | 3,101 | #60 |
| 1925 | 18 | #2,179 | 3,804 | #53 |
| 1920 | 33 | #1,401 | 3,901 | #51 |
| 1915 | 10 | #2,866 | 3,250 | #51 |
| 1910 | — | — | 615 | #58 |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,894 | 432 | #58 |
| 1900 | — | — | 427 | #62 |
| 1895 | — | — | 300 | #66 |
| 1890 | — | — | 182 | #95 |
| 1885 | — | — | 94 | #145 |
| 1880 | — | — | 62 | #197 |
Famous people named Russell
- Russell Crowe Actor · b. 1964
- Russell Alan Hulse Astronomer · b. 1950
- Russell Means Social activist · 1939–2012
- Russell Mulcahy Film director · b. 1953
- Russell Kirk Writer · 1918–1994
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Russell mean?
Inherited from Middle English Russel, from Anglo-Norman Russel.
How popular is the name Russell in 2025?
Russell ranked #345 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 944 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Russell?
361,476 babies have been named Russell in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Russell most popular?
Russell peaked in 1960, when 7,510 newborns received the name.
Is Russell a boy or girl name?
Russell is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Russell rising or falling?
Russell is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Russell?
Well-known people named Russell include Russell Crowe (actor), Russell Alan Hulse (astronomer), Russell Means (social activist).