How to say it
RUS · sell
/ˈrʌs.əl/
Masculine
Russell
Little red one
What it means
A Norman French surname, 'little red one,' originally a nickname for someone red-haired or ruddy.
Russell began as the Norman French roussel, 'little red one,' a nickname for a red-haired or ruddy person. It settled into a surname and then a steady first name, behind figures from philosopher Bertrand Russell to actor Russell Crowe. It reads solid and mid-century friendly, and it gives the easy shorts Russ and Rusty. Plain, warm, and dependable.
Popularity over time
peaked at #48 in 1904, currently #345 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Russ and Rusty are the standard shorts.
- Spelling
Originally a 'red-haired' Norman nickname.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Bertrand Russell British philosopher and Nobel laureate
- Russell Crowe actor, the lead of Gladiator
Spelling variants
- Russel
- Roussel
Names with the same feeling
See Russell from another angle
By style