Given name & surname
Russel
“a little red-haired boy”
Russel is a variant of Russell. One French interpretation is “a little red-haired boy.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Russel is a variant of Russell. One French interpretation is “a little red-haired boy.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Russel is a variant of Russell. Russell has been associated with Old French and Latin naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Russel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 16,622
- 16,610 boys · 12 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 394 babies
- 2025
- 27
- #4,020 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 27 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,020 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 19.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 389 in 1920. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,399 as a first name in 2020; 3,400 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Russel’s family of names
Russel has a related form in Russell. In Middle English usage, Russel as a surname has a related form in Russell. In Greek usage, Russel is a transliteration of Ράσελ.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Russel has relatives in 4 languages.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Russel
- Russel CrouseAmerican playwright (1893-1966)
- Russel ArnoldSri Lankan cricketerborn 1973
- Russel NormanNew Zealand politicianborn 1967
- Russel L. HonoréRetired Lieutenant General in the United States Armyborn 1947
- Russel E. CaflischAmerican mathematician and academicborn 1954
- Russel Mahmud Litonfootball playerborn 1994
- Russel FriendAmerican television producer and writerborn 1950
- Russel CarreroNicaraguan sprinter1950–1990
Characters named Russel: Russel Hobbs (fictional American drummer for the virtual band Gorillaz).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Russel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rupert
“one who is bright with fame”
>99% boys
Rufus
“red(-haired )” · “a red-haired man”
>99% boys
Rueben
>99% boys
Herschel
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Howell
“a distinguished or eminent man”
>99% boys
Odell
“a sweet melody” · “one who is wealthy”
98% boys · 2% girls
Ozell
“having great strength”
>99% boys
Richmond
“from the wealthy hill” · “a powerful protector”
>99% boys