Total births
17,802
Boys' name · since 1927
Rusty
Rusty has 17,802 recorded births since 1927 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3354
- among boys today
- 17,802
- born since 1927
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Rusty currently ranks #3354 among boys' names in America, with 17,802 babies recorded since 1927.
Rusty has 17,802 recorded births among boys since 1927, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3354 as of the latest data, more common than 77% 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 1927 to 2025.
- #3354 among boys today
- 17,802 born since 1927
- 1960s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rusty is currently the #3354 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 17,802 born since 1927, peaking in the 1960s.
- #3354
- among boys today
- 17,802
- born since 1927
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Rusty vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3354
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Rusty was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
576 babies were named Rusty in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Rusty compares
17,802 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
Rusty's all-time total is 49x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rusty | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,802 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 576 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rusty's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rusty splits its recorded history at 1979: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1934 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1961 peak of 576 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rusty at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#3,354
Active since
1927
Rusty popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1927–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 576
- Annual births at peak, across 99 years of records
Rusty popularity over time - girls
565 total births recorded since 1934 (Rusty as girls' name)
Rusty by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Rusty's strongest decade.
4,242 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Rusty births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 8
1920s
8 births
- 1930s 41
1930s
41 births
- 1940s 458
1940s
458 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,956 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,242 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,647 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,768 births
- 1990s 1,472
1990s
1,472 births
- 2000s 598
2000s
598 births
- 2010s 377
2010s
377 births
- 2020s 235
2020s
235 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 4,242 births (24% of all-time use).
How Rusty 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 Rusty's total volume
Rusty vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rusty by state
Where Rusty concentrates geographically, total births since 1927
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,993 | 11.2% |
| #2 | California | | 1,241 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 960 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 671 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 632 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 582 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 571 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 563 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Rusty's total US births 11.2%
Even split
1,993 of 17,802 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Rusty appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rusty? ▼
17,802 babies have been named Rusty since 1927. It currently ranks #3354 among boys. The peak year was 1961 with 576 births.
When was Rusty most popular? ▼
Rusty was most popular in the 1960s decade with 4,242 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Rusty most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rusty are Texas (1,993 births), California (1,241 births), Ohio (960 births).
How long has the name Rusty been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rusty since 1927 -- 99 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Rusty? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Russell, Russel, Russ, Rush, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rusty's data
- Rusty's decade-level peak was the 1960s (4,242 total births); usage has since declined to 235 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Rustys (1,993 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Rusty
Nearby Names Like Rusty
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rusty
Russell Boy
#367 359,780 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 Rusty side by side: Rusty vs Russell Rusty vs Russel Rusty vs Russ
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rusty
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, 1927–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rusty: #3354 Boys' Name - 17,802 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rusty. 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 Rusty 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.