Russell Boy

Popularity: #327 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: RUSS-uhl //ˈrʌsəl//

Origin: Old French; Latin

Meaning: Old French: red-haired; Latin: to rust

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Russell has its origins in the Old French word "rous," meaning "red," which itself derives from the Latin "rufus," also meaning "red-haired." The name entered the English language after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when many Old French terms were adopted into English. The diminutive form "Russ" emerged as a familiar variant, often used in informal contexts.

Historically, the name Russell is associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of the 13th-century English noble family, the Russell family, which rose to prominence during the medieval period.

The name gained further recognition with the 1st Earl of Bedford, Francis Russell, who lived in the 16th century and was a significant figure in the English court. Additionally, the name is linked to the philosopher and social critic Bertrand Russell, who was influential in the 20th century, contributing to various fields including logic, mathematics, and social theory.

Culturally, the name Russell has been imbued with various symbolic meanings, often associated with qualities such as strength and leadership, likely due to its historical connections to nobility and intellectualism. The name has also appeared in literature and the arts, reinforcing its enduring presence in English-speaking cultures.

The name's association with the color red may evoke notions of passion and vitality, which have contributed to its lasting appeal across generations.

Famous people named Russell

In this section, you will find notable people named Russell. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Russell who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Russell who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Russell Crowe is an actor best known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and Les Misérables.

Russell Brand is a comedian and actor best known for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and Arthur.

Russell Wilson is a football player best known for his time with the Seattle Seahawks and winning Super Bowl XLVIII.

Russell Simmons is a music producer and entrepreneur best known for co-founding Def Jam Recordings and his work in hip-hop culture.

Russell T Davies is a television writer and producer best known for Doctor Who and Queer as Folk.

Russell Baker is a journalist and author best known for his work with The New York Times and his memoir Growing Up.

Russell Hornsby is an actor best known for his roles in Lincoln Heights, Grimm, and The Hate U Give.

Russell Peters is a comedian best known for his stand-up specials and his work on The Russell Peters Show.

Russell Gage is a football player best known for his time with the Atlanta Falcons and his performance as a wide receiver.

Fictional characters named Russell

The following list of fictional characters named Russell is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Russell is a fictional character from the animated film Up. He is a young boy scout who joins Carl Fredricksen on an adventure to fulfill his dream of helping the elderly.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Russell, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Russell. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Russell was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Russell has ranked as high as #118 nationally, which occurred in 1960, and has been most popular in California, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Russell has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Russell is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Russell was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Russell.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 944 944 0
2024 897 897 0
2023 815 815 0
2022 868 868 0
2021 919 919 0
2020 842 842 0
2019 804 804 0
2018 769 769 0
2017 790 790 0
2016 785 785 0
2015 769 769 0
2014 757 757 0
2013 672 672 0
2012 657 657 0
2011 707 707 0
2010 699 699 0
2009 646 646 0
2008 726 726 0
2007 712 712 0
2006 741 741 0
2005 731 731 0
2004 778 768 10
2003 811 811 0
2002 838 838 0
2001 925 925 0
2000 894 894 0
1999 855 855 0
1998 952 952 0
1997 1,100 1,100 0
1996 1,097 1,086 11
1995 1,205 1,205 0
1994 1,269 1,269 0
1993 1,528 1,517 11
1992 1,711 1,711 0
1991 1,847 1,833 14
1990 2,212 2,212 0
1989 2,228 2,218 10
1988 2,308 2,298 10
1987 2,398 2,379 19
1986 2,427 2,407 20
1985 2,578 2,571 7
1984 2,709 2,685 24
1983 2,777 2,744 33
1982 3,063 3,032 31
1981 3,079 3,048 31
1980 3,299 3,269 30
1979 3,157 3,132 25
1978 3,012 2,984 28
1977 3,151 3,124 27
1976 3,011 2,999 12
1975 3,254 3,232 22
1974 3,180 3,168 12
1973 3,421 3,397 24
1972 3,806 3,782 24
1971 4,571 4,545 26
1970 5,132 5,106 26
1969 5,182 5,156 26
1968 5,123 5,097 26
1967 4,910 4,889 21
1966 4,880 4,857 23
1965 5,662 5,645 17
1964 6,263 6,238 25
1963 6,727 6,703 24
1962 7,066 7,042 24
1961 7,364 7,333 31
1960 7,510 7,487 23
1959 7,504 7,480 24
1958 7,179 7,158 21
1957 7,246 7,223 23
1956 7,420 7,402 18
1955 6,554 6,539 15
1954 5,777 5,761 16
1953 5,390 5,374 16
1952 5,368 5,349 19
1951 5,188 5,175 13
1950 4,963 4,945 18
1949 5,022 5,007 15
1948 5,131 5,109 22
1947 5,290 5,270 20
1946 4,759 4,741 18
1945 3,820 3,806 14
1944 3,942 3,931 11
1943 3,768 3,752 16
1942 3,691 3,676 15
1941 3,048 3,032 16
1940 3,025 3,012 13
1939 2,843 2,833 10
1938 2,961 2,950 11
1937 2,910 2,895 15
1936 2,847 2,832 15
1935 2,847 2,833 14
1934 2,756 2,736 20
1933 2,711 2,697 14
1932 3,038 3,021 17
1931 2,964 2,942 22
1930 3,128 3,101 27
1929 3,210 3,183 27
1928 3,357 3,325 32
1927 3,563 3,540 23
1926 3,821 3,793 28
1925 3,822 3,804 18
1924 3,969 3,946 23
1923 3,828 3,805 23
1922 3,993 3,965 28
1921 3,975 3,946 29
1920 3,934 3,901 33
1919 3,666 3,645 21
1918 3,851 3,833 18
1917 3,460 3,436 24
1916 3,353 3,330 23
1915 3,260 3,250 10
1914 2,580 2,568 12
1913 1,958 1,946 12
1912 1,462 1,449 13
1911 779 770 9
1910 615 615 0
1909 535 528 7
1908 528 523 5
1907 503 503 0
1906 465 459 6
1905 438 432 6
1904 478 473 5
1903 390 390 0
1902 422 422 0
1901 402 395 7
1900 427 427 0
1899 343 338 5
1898 368 359 9
1897 295 295 0
1896 327 327 0
1895 300 300 0
1894 278 278 0
1893 246 246 0
1892 274 269 5
1891 186 186 0
1890 182 182 0
1889 198 198 0
1888 146 146 0
1887 96 96 0
1886 115 115 0
1885 94 94 0
1884 107 107 0
1883 67 67 0
1882 73 73 0
1881 65 65 0
1880 62 62 0

Top States for Russell (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 84
10%
TX 55
6%
PA 47
5%
OH 40
5%
NY 38
4%
NC 36
4%
MN 32
4%
MI 30
3%
NJ 30
3%
IL 29
3%
TN 27
3%
VA 26
3%
UT 25
3%
FL 23
3%
WA 22
3%
GA 22
3%
MO 21
2%
AZ 19
2%
MD 19
2%
OR 17
2%
IN 17
2%
WI 17
2%
KS 16
2%
SC 16
2%
MA 15
2%
OK 14
2%
NH 14
2%
CO 13
1%
AL 12
1%
CT 11
1%
IA 11
1%
LA 10
1%
KY 9
1%
AR 8
1%
MS 8
1%
ID 6
1%
WV 6
1%
WY 6
1%
NE 6
1%
DE 5
1%
SD 5
1%