Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1961

Rusty

Gender Boy · 3% girls Rank 2025 #2,384 Trend ↑ Rising 65%
Rank 2025
#2,384
among boys · ↑998 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Rusty · +35% vs 2024
How common
1 in 29,450
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1961
576 babies
All-time total
18,367
#882 all-time among boys
First recorded
1927
in Social Security records

Rusty popularity over time

18,367 babies have been named Rusty since 1927, 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
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – 8 8 1 – #3,404
1930s 16 41 57 6 +613% #2,648
1940s 24 458 482 48 +746% #727
1950s 95 2,956 3,051 305 +533% #329
1960s 96 4,242 4,338 434 +42% #328
1970s 194 3,647 3,841 384 -11% #347
1980s 106 3,768 3,874 387 +1% #355
1990s 26 1,472 1,498 150 -61% #608
2000s – 598 598 60 -60% #1,625
2010s – 377 377 38 -37% #2,674
2020s (to 2025) 8 235 243 41 +7% #2,384

Where Rusty 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 63 0.04 outside top 500
2027 67 0.04 outside top 500
2028 71 0.04 outside top 500
2029 75 0.04 outside top 500
2030 78 0.05 outside top 500

The story of Rusty

Rusty is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,384 in 2025 with 58 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1927, 18,367 American babies have been named Rusty. Its peak came in 1961, when 576 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 Rusty stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rusty?

The median living Rusty is about 50 years old; half are between 40 and 62. An estimated 16 thousand people named Rusty are alive in the United States today.

median 50 020406080100

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

Rusty 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 – – 58 #2,384
2024 8 #11,965 35 #3,382
2023 – – 38 #3,215
2022 – – 34 #3,451
2021 – – 43 #2,907
2020 – – 27 #3,900
2019 – – 27 #3,976
2018 – – 28 #3,869
2017 – – 32 #3,505
2016 – – 40 #2,978
2015 – – 46 #2,674
2014 – – 43 #2,797
2013 – – 35 #3,175
2012 – – 38 #3,052
2011 – – 43 #2,786
2010 – – 45 #2,720
2009 – – 31 #3,535
2008 – – 43 #2,819
2007 – – 54 #2,409
2006 – – 41 #2,816
2005 – – 78 #1,722
2004 – – 65 #1,905
2003 – – 76 #1,654
2002 – – 67 #1,739
2001 – – 70 #1,676
2000 – – 73 #1,625
1995 7 #11,505 127 #986
1990 8 #9,952 273 #608
1985 – – 327 #479
1980 19 #4,108 505 #355
1975 22 #3,233 365 #403
1970 23 #3,006 384 #416
1965 8 #5,206 411 #382
1960 7 #5,605 514 #343
1955 12 #3,539 323 #409
1950 – – 98 #694
1945 – – 39 #1,033
1940 – – 13 #2,066
1935 5 #4,796 8 #2,909
1930 – – 6 #3,940
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Rusty

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Rusty Schweickart Rusty Schweickart American scientist, astronaut, businessman and policy adviser (born 1935) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Rusty?

The median living Rusty is about 50 years old. Half of all living Rustys are between 40 and 62 years old.

How many people named Rusty are alive today?

An estimated 16 thousand people named Rusty are alive in the United States, based on 18,367 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Rusty in 2025?

Rusty ranked #2,384 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rusty?

18,367 babies have been named Rusty in the United States since 1927, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rusty most popular?

Rusty peaked in 1961, when 576 newborns received the name.

Is Rusty a boy or girl name?

Rusty is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rusty rising or falling?

Rusty is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Rusty become more popular?

Rusty is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 78 boys named Rusty in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Rusty?

Well-known people named Rusty include Rusty Schweickart (astronaut).

Names like Rusty

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

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