Total births
16,610
Boys' name · since 1880
Russel
16,610 babies named Russel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4434
- among boys today
- 16,610
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
Russel currently ranks #4434 among boys' names in America, with 16,610 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Russel recorded 16,610 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #4434 nationally today, ahead of 69% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4434 among boys today
- 16,610 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 69% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Russel is currently the #4434 boys' name in America, more common than 69% of boys - 16,610 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4434
- among boys today
- 16,610
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
Russel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4434
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 69% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Russel was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
389 babies were named Russel in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Russel compares
16,610 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Russel's all-time total is 45x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Russel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,610 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 389 | 23 | 22,252 |
Russel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Russel's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 39% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 61%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 389, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Russel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#4,434
Active since
1880
Russel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 389
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Russel popularity over time - girls
12 total births recorded since 1920 (Russel as girls' name)
Russel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Russel's strongest decade.
3,288 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Russel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 73
1880s
73 births
- 1890s 222
1890s
222 births
- 1900s 352
1900s
352 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,181 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,288 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,835 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,741 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,802 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,729 births
- 1970s 1,168
1970s
1,168 births
- 1980s 914
1980s
914 births
- 1990s 550
1990s
550 births
- 2000s 355
2000s
355 births
- 2010s 261
2010s
261 births
- 2020s 139
2020s
139 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,288 births (20% of all-time use).
How Russel 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 Russel's total volume
Russel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Russel by state
Where Russel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 1,740 | 10.5% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 917 | 5.5% |
| #3 | California | | 876 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 849 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 807 | 4.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 587 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Texas | | 488 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 475 | 2.9% |
Pennsylvania share of Russel's total US births 10.5%
Even split
1,740 of 16,610 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Russel appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Russel? ▼
Russel has been given to 16,610 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4434 as of the latest data. 389 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Russel most popular? ▼
Russel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,288 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Russel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Russel are Pennsylvania (1,740 births), Ohio (917 births), California (876 births).
How long has the name Russel been used? ▼
Russel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Russel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Russell, Rusty, Russ, Rush, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Russel's data
- Russel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,288 total births); usage has since declined to 139 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Russels (1,740 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Russel
Nearby Names Like Russel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Russel
Russell Boy
#367 359,780 births
Rusty Boy
#3354 17,802 births
Russ Boy
#6215 6,131 births
Rush Boy
#1487 3,438 births
Rustin Boy
#2430 2,903 births
Compare Russel side by side: Russel vs Russell Russel vs Rusty Russel vs Russ
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Russel
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Russel: #4434 Boys' Name - 16,610 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/russel. 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 Russel 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.