Russ

Russ: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “red-haired”
Origin: English
Say it: RUSS · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Usually a short form of Russell. Russell comes from Anglo-Norman French russel, a diminutive of rus, meaning red or reddish-haired.

English names Short names Surname-style names

How popular is Russ?

20244.2 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Russ in 202414

Peak year1959

Total US babies since 18806,111

Russ is rising: use over the last five years is 2.3× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Russ

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Russelllittle red-haired one · French
Rustyred-haired · English
Russellittle red-haired one · French
JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English
Cartercart driver · English
Wyattbrave in war · English

Russ questions

What does the name Russ mean?

Russ means "red-haired". It comes from English. Usually a short form of Russell. Russell comes from Anglo-Norman French russel, a diminutive of rus, meaning red or reddish-haired.

Is Russ a boy or girl name?

Russ is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Russ?

14 US babies were named Russ in 2024. Its peak year was 1959.

How do you pronounce Russ?

Russ is usually pronounced RUSS.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.