Total births
359,780
Boys' name · since 1880
Russell
Russell has 359,780 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #367
- among boys today
- 359,780
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Russell currently ranks #367 among boys' names in America, with 359,780 babies recorded since 1880.
Russell has 359,780 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #367 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #367 among boys today
- 359,780 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Russell is currently the #367 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 359,780 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #367
- among boys today
- 359,780
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Russell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#367
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Russell was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
7,487 babies were named Russell in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Russell compares
359,780 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Russell's all-time total is 980x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Russell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 359,780 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,487 | 23 | 22,252 |
Russell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Russell's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 57% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 43%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 62 births recorded -- set against the 1960 peak of 7,487, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Russell at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1960
Current rank
#367
Active since
1880
Russell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 7,487
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Russell popularity over time - girls
1,696 total births recorded since 1892 (Russell as girls' name)
Russell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Russell's strongest decade.
62,406 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Russell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,023
1880s
1,023 births
- 1890s 2,780
1890s
2,780 births
- 1900s 4,552
1900s
4,552 births
- 1910s 24,842
1910s
24,842 births
- 1920s
1920s
37,208 births
- 1930s
1930s
28,840 births
- 1940s
1940s
41,336 births
- 1950s
1950s
62,406 births
- 1960s
1960s
60,447 births
- 1970s
1970s
35,469 births
- 1980s
1980s
26,651 births
- 1990s 13,740
1990s
13,740 births
- 2000s 7,792
2000s
7,792 births
- 2010s 7,409
2010s
7,409 births
- 2020s 5,285
2020s
5,285 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 62,406 births (17% of all-time use).
How Russell 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 Russell's total volume
Russell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Russell by state
Where Russell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 25,083 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 22,813 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 22,196 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 20,019 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 19,356 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Texas | | 17,892 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 16,261 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 11,190 | 3.1% |
California share of Russell's total US births 7.0%
Even split
25,083 of 359,780 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Russell appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Russell? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 359,780 babies named Russell. Today it holds rank #367 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 7,487 births.
When was Russell most popular? ▼
Russell was most popular in the 1950s decade with 62,406 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Russell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Russell are California (25,083 births), Pennsylvania (22,813 births), New York (22,196 births).
How long has the name Russell been used? ▼
Records for Russell go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Russell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rusty, Russel, Russ, Rush, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Russell's data
- Russell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (62,406 total births); usage has since declined to 5,285 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Russells (25,083 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 Russell
Nearby Names Like Russell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Russell
Rusty Boy
#3354 17,802 births
Russel Boy
#4434 16,610 births
Russ Boy
#6215 6,131 births
Rush Boy
#1487 3,438 births
Rustin Boy
#2430 2,903 births
Compare Russell side by side: Russell vs Rusty Russell vs Russel Russell vs Russ
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Russell
Banks #366
6,459 births · Peak 2025
Desmond #368
40,031 births · Peak 1992
Baylor #365
9,010 births · Peak 2024
Rylan #369
34,532 births · Peak 2011
Callahan #364
6,030 births · Peak 2025
Sterling #370
37,474 births · Peak 2025
Santino #363
13,624 births · Peak 2025
Killian #371
16,219 births · Peak 2017
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. "Russell: #367 Boys' Name - 359,780 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/russell. 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 Russell 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.