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BabyNames
Boy name#97 of boy names

Russell

Pronounced R AH1 S AH0 L (ARPABET)

  • 2 syllables
  • Peaked 1960
  • 145 years in use
  • 1 spelling
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How popular is Russell?

Russell is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 377,112 children — the 97th most common boys' name on record.

Its use has been broadly flat across the past two decades. Its best single year was 1960, when 7,701 children were given it.

Russel is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.

02,5005,0007,50010,00018901920195019802010
1960Boys: 7,701Girls: 23

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Russell and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Russel

Nicknames

Common short forms: Russ.

Characteristics

  • 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
R AH1 S AH0 L
Stress pattern:
10
Syllables:
2

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Russell

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Russell

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Russell?
Russell ranks 97th among boys' names in US records, with 377,112 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 8,491.
Is Russell a unisex name?
No. Russell is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Russell most popular?
1960, when 7,701 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
What are common nicknames for Russell?
Russ. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
How else is Russell spelled?
Russel. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.