Russ

An uncommon Old French pick — distinctive and rare.

Boy's nameOld FrenchDeclining Also a pet name
#6386 1533in 2024

Meaning & Origin

A diminutive of the male given name Russell.

Russ is a boy's baby name of Old French origin, a short form of Russell, derived from the Old French rousel meaning 'little red one' — originally a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

Russ has the warm, unpretentious quality of a name worn by people who do things — comedian Russ Abbot, WWE personality Paul Heyman's character, and countless American men who carried this name through the 20th century with easy confidence.

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Popularity Over Time

Russ climbed 3356 spots in the last 20 years — from #9742 to #6386.

0881752633501900192019401960198020002024

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Russ
DecadeBirthsTrend
2020s91
2010s89
2000s70
1990s171
1980s405
1970s673
1960s2,217
1950s1,415
1940s624
1930s173
1920s106
1910s66
1900s5
1890s6

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(113 years, 18982024)
Year-by-year popularity data for the name Russ
YearBirthsRank
202414#6386
202321#4853
202221#4818
202118#5290
202017#5413
201911#7540
201813#6633
20177#10556
20168#9506
20158#9410
20145#13673
20136#11876
201212#6953
201112#6924
20107#10540
20095#14089
200712#7000
20065#13625
20059#8169
20047#9742

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Russ has two lives

Russ, the baby name
#6386boys
6,111 babies
Currently viewing
Russ, the pet name
#4021pet name
19 pets
View pet page →

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (18982024) · Methodology