Russell
Boy · RUS-el · French
Russell is a boys' name of French origin, meaning “little red one”. In 2025 it ranked 916th for boys in the UK (37 babies) and 345th for boys in the US (944 babies).
What does Russell mean?
French: English surname from Norman French rousel
“little red one”
From a Norman nickname for someone with red hair; the Russells, Dukes of Bedford, made it a famous English surname.
- Say it
- RUS-el
More on Wiktionary.
Is Russell a girl's or a boy's name?
Russell is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 37 boys in the UK and 944 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Russell in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #916among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 37about 1 in 8,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 37 boys in the UK were named Russell, making it the 916th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,054th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 136 boys.
2025 had more boys named Russell than any year since 2015.
Half of all the boys named Russell in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 40 boys in the UK were given Russell or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #781, up from #916 for this spelling alone.
- Russell 37
- Russel 3
Among boys in 2025, it was 953rd in England and Wales and 560th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1964 (#55), 1974 (#60) and 1984 (#68).
Russell in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #916 |
| 2024 | 21 | #1,355 |
| 2023 | 31 | #1,049 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,312 |
| 2021 | 32 | #1,017 |
| 2020 | 29 | #1,054 |
| 2019 | 20 | #1,351 |
| 2018 | 30 | #1,043 |
| 2017 | 23 | #1,253 |
| 2016 | 27 | #1,133 |
| 2015 | 39 | #871 |
| 2014 | 32 | #991 |
| 2013 | 31 | #1,002 |
| 2012 | 40 | #852 |
| 2011 | 42 | #810 |
| 2010 | 41 | #803 |
| 2009 | 55 | #654 |
| 2008 | 52 | #667 |
| 2007 | 60 | #571 |
| 2006 | 43 | #695 |
| 2005 | 45 | #648 |
| 2004 | 61 | #485 |
| 2003 | 48 | #546 |
| 2002 | 52 | #475 |
| 2001 | 82 | #356 |
| 2000 | 60 | #413 |
| 1999 | 76 | #361 |
| 1998 | 98 | #299 |
| 1997 | 109 | #284 |
| 1996 | 136 | #248 |
How popular is Russell in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #345among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 944about 1 in 1,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 944 boys in the US were named Russell, making it the 345th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 370th. Its busiest year was 1960, with 7,487 boys.
2025 had more boys named Russell than any year since 1998.
Half of all the boys named Russell in the US since 1880 were born between 1936 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.
Russell in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 944 | #345 |
| 2024 | 897 | #367 |
| 2023 | 815 | #391 |
| 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 | #401 |
| 2010 | 699 | #403 |
| 2009 | 646 | #434 |
| 2008 | 726 | #405 |
| 2007 | 712 | #409 |
| 2006 | 741 | #403 |
| 2005 | 731 | #392 |
| 2004 | 768 | #362 |
| 2003 | 811 | #343 |
| 2002 | 838 | #327 |
| 2001 | 925 | #307 |
| 2000 | 894 | #320 |
| 1999 | 855 | #325 |
| 1998 | 952 | #297 |
| 1997 | 1,100 | #256 |
| 1996 | 1,086 | #260 |
| 1995 | 1,205 | #240 |
| 1994 | 1,269 | #235 |
| 1993 | 1,517 | #201 |
| 1992 | 1,711 | #185 |
| 1991 | 1,833 | #174 |
| 1990 | 2,212 | #142 |
| 1989 | 2,218 | #136 |
| 1988 | 2,298 | #128 |
| 1987 | 2,379 | #119 |
| 1986 | 2,407 | #116 |
| 1985 | 2,571 | #110 |
| 1984 | 2,685 | #106 |
| 1983 | 2,744 | #104 |
| 1982 | 3,032 | #97 |
| 1981 | 3,048 | #98 |
| 1980 | 3,269 | #92 |
| 1979 | 3,132 | #92 |
| 1978 | 2,984 | #93 |
| 1977 | 3,124 | #89 |
| 1976 | 2,999 | #87 |
| 1975 | 3,232 | #82 |
| 1974 | 3,168 | #84 |
| 1973 | 3,397 | #77 |
| 1972 | 3,782 | #69 |
| 1971 | 4,545 | #64 |
| 1970 | 5,106 | #58 |
| 1969 | 5,156 | #57 |
| 1968 | 5,097 | #56 |
| 1967 | 4,889 | #58 |
| 1966 | 4,857 | #61 |
| 1965 | 5,645 | #58 |
| 1964 | 6,238 | #58 |
| 1963 | 6,703 | #57 |
| 1962 | 7,042 | #57 |
| 1961 | 7,333 | #55 |
| 1960 | 7,487 | #56 |
| 1959 | 7,480 | #56 |
| 1958 | 7,158 | #54 |
| 1957 | 7,223 | #54 |
| 1956 | 7,402 | #52 |
| 1955 | 6,539 | #57 |
| 1954 | 5,761 | #69 |
| 1953 | 5,374 | #71 |
| 1952 | 5,349 | #70 |
| 1951 | 5,175 | #73 |
| 1950 | 4,945 | #67 |
| 1949 | 5,007 | #69 |
| 1948 | 5,109 | #67 |
| 1947 | 5,270 | #69 |
| 1946 | 4,741 | #66 |
| 1945 | 3,806 | #64 |
| 1944 | 3,931 | #63 |
| 1943 | 3,752 | #73 |
| 1942 | 3,676 | #70 |
| 1941 | 3,032 | #75 |
| 1940 | 3,012 | #72 |
| 1939 | 2,833 | #73 |
| 1938 | 2,950 | #70 |
| 1937 | 2,895 | #67 |
| 1936 | 2,832 | #69 |
| 1935 | 2,833 | #68 |
| 1934 | 2,736 | #70 |
| 1933 | 2,697 | #67 |
| 1932 | 3,021 | #63 |
| 1931 | 2,942 | #63 |
| 1930 | 3,101 | #60 |
| 1929 | 3,183 | #56 |
| 1928 | 3,325 | #55 |
| 1927 | 3,540 | #54 |
| 1926 | 3,793 | #52 |
| 1925 | 3,804 | #53 |
| 1924 | 3,946 | #52 |
| 1923 | 3,805 | #52 |
| 1922 | 3,965 | #49 |
| 1921 | 3,946 | #52 |
| 1920 | 3,901 | #51 |
| 1919 | 3,645 | #50 |
| 1918 | 3,833 | #50 |
| 1917 | 3,436 | #52 |
| 1916 | 3,330 | #51 |
| 1915 | 3,250 | #51 |
| 1914 | 2,568 | #49 |
| 1913 | 1,946 | #50 |
| 1912 | 1,449 | #56 |
| 1911 | 770 | #55 |
| 1910 | 615 | #58 |
| 1909 | 528 | #58 |
| 1908 | 523 | #56 |
| 1907 | 503 | #57 |
| 1906 | 459 | #53 |
| 1905 | 432 | #57 |
| 1904 | 473 | #48 |
| 1903 | 390 | #56 |
| 1902 | 422 | #53 |
| 1901 | 395 | #50 |
| 1900 | 427 | #62 |
| 1899 | 338 | #56 |
| 1898 | 359 | #61 |
| 1897 | 295 | #64 |
| 1896 | 327 | #64 |
| 1895 | 300 | #66 |
| 1894 | 278 | #72 |
| 1893 | 246 | #75 |
| 1892 | 269 | #75 |
| 1891 | 186 | #86 |
| 1890 | 182 | #94 |
| 1889 | 198 | #89 |
| 1888 | 146 | #114 |
| 1887 | 96 | #133 |
| 1886 | 115 | #122 |
| 1885 | 94 | #145 |
| 1884 | 107 | #133 |
| 1883 | 67 | #180 |
| 1882 | 73 | #184 |
| 1881 | 65 | #178 |
| 1880 | 62 | #196 |
Nicknames for Russell
- Russ 20 boys in the US in 2025
Names like Russell
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Robert Michael Thomas William James Daniel Joseph David Richard Patrick John Billy
Other spellings of Russell
More French names
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