Boy · #5,325 in 2026

Russel

Russel is a name with a single cultural origin: English.

  • English
Current Rank
#5,325
Peak Rank
#282 (1920)
Total Babies
17K
5-Yr Trend
-33%
1920
First Year
1924
Last Year
1924
Peak Year
#4002
Peak Rank
12
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Russel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Russel is a name with a single cultural origin: English.

Origin data from Behind the Name .

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Russel

Russel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 389 Russels were born — ranking #283 that year. As of 2026, Russel ranks #5,325 for baby boys with 18 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 17K Russels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Russel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Russel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Russell
  • Rustle
  • Rusle
  • Wrestle
  • Wrastle
  • Rassle
  • Rasul
  • Rossell
  • Rastle
  • Rossel
  • Resell
  • Rissole

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Russel

What does the name Russel mean?
Russel is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
What is the origin of the name Russel?
Russel has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Russel in 2026?
In 2026, Russel ranks #5,325 among boys' names in the U.S., with 18 babies given the name that year.
When was Russel most popular?
Russel reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #282 that year with 389 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Russel most popular?
Russel has historically been most popular in Montana, Pennsylvania, Indiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Russel.
Is Russel a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Russel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Russel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Russel include Chauncey, Jarrett, Emmet. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Russel

Russel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Russel's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #282. Use the chart and map above to compare Russel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.