Total births
6,131
Boys' name · since 1898
Russ
6,131 babies named Russ in U.S. Social Security records since 1898, with the highest year being 1959. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6215
- among boys today
- 6,131
- born since 1898
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
6,131 babies have been named Russ since 1898, making it today's #6215 boys' name.
Russ has 6,131 recorded births among boys since 1898, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6215 as of the latest data, more common than 57% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 2025.
- #6215 among boys today
- 6,131 born since 1898
- 1960s peak decade
- 57% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Russ is currently the #6215 boys' name in America, more common than 57% of boys - 6,131 born since 1898, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6215
- among boys today
- 6,131
- born since 1898
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other boys
Russ vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6215
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 57% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Russ was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
350 babies were named Russ in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Russ compares
6,131 Top 11% higher than 89% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Russ's all-time total is 17x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Russ | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,131 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 350 | 23 | 22,252 |
Russ's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Russ's SSA record in two at 1968 and the more recent half accounts for 29% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 71%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 350, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Russ at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#6,215
Active since
1898
Russ popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 350
- Annual births at peak, across 128 years of records
Russ by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Russ's strongest decade.
2,217 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Russ births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 66
1910s
66 births
- 1920s 106
1920s
106 births
- 1930s 173
1930s
173 births
- 1940s 624
1940s
624 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,415 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,217 births
- 1970s 673
1970s
673 births
- 1980s 405
1980s
405 births
- 1990s 171
1990s
171 births
- 2000s 70
2000s
70 births
- 2010s 89
2010s
89 births
- 2020s 111
2020s
111 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 2,217 births (36% of all-time use).
How Russ compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Russ's total volume
Russ vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Russ by state
Where Russ concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 697 | 11.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 306 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 228 | 3.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 207 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Texas | | 207 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 206 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Washington | | 144 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 114 | 1.9% |
California share of Russ's total US births 11.4%
Even split
697 of 6,131 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Russ appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Russ? ▼
Since 1898, Social Security records show 6,131 babies named Russ. Today it holds rank #6215 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1959, with 350 births.
When was Russ most popular? ▼
Russ was most popular in the 1960s decade with 2,217 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Russ most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Russ are California (697 births), New York (306 births), Michigan (228 births).
How long has the name Russ been used? ▼
Records for Russ go back to 1898, giving 128 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Russ? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Russell, Rusty, Russel, Rush, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Russ's data
- Russ's decade-level peak was the 1960s (2,217 total births); usage has since declined to 111 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Russs (697 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Russ
Nearby Names Like Russ
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Russ
Russell Boy
#367 359,780 births
Rusty Boy
#3354 17,802 births
Russel Boy
#4434 16,610 births
Rush Boy
#1487 3,438 births
Rustin Boy
#2430 2,903 births
Compare Russ side by side: Russ vs Russell Russ vs Rusty Russ vs Russel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Russ
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1898–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Russ: #6215 Boys' Name - 6,131 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/russ. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Russ draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.