Russell is a name of English origin that has been used for centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name Hrúðvaldr, which is composed of the elements hrúð meaning "fame" or "renown," and valdr meaning "power" or "rule." Therefore, Russell can be interpreted to mean "famous ruler" or "having renowned power."
The use of the name Russell can be traced back to medieval England. It was initially used as a surname before becoming a given name in the 19th century. Some notable individuals with the name Russell include actors like Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's daughter, Kate Hudson, who has Russell as her middle name.
In literature, there are several characters named Russell, such as the fictional detective created by American author Dashiell Hammett in his novel "The Maltese Falcon." Additionally, British poet Thomas Hardy used the name for a character in his novel "Jude the Obscure."
Today, Russell remains a popular given name in English-speaking countries. It has consistently ranked among the top 1000 boy names in the United States since record-keeping began in the early 20th century. While it may not be as common as some other names, Russell continues to be chosen by parents who appreciate its historical significance and strong meaning.
The statistics provided show the annual births of the name Russell in the United States from 1892 to 2004. Over this period of 113 years, a total of 1696 babies were named Russell.
Looking at the data, we can observe several trends:
* The highest number of births was recorded in 1920, with 33 newborns named Russell.
* However, the name's popularity began to decline after the 1930s. From 1945 onwards, there were fewer than 20 births per year on average.
* There were several years where no babies were named Russell at all, such as in 1897, 1900-1903, and 1907.
* After the mid-1960s, there was a slight increase in popularity, with around 20-30 births per year until the late 1980s.
* However, since then, the name Russell has become increasingly rare. Between 1994 and 2004, there were only four years with more than ten births each.
Overall, while Russell was once a relatively popular name in the early to mid-20th century, its popularity has declined significantly over time. Today, it is not as commonly chosen as it once was.