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1/21/2022, 9:40 PM Mike C update #111
6/13/2019, 12:17 AM Mike C update #104
2/12/2007, 1:03 AM Mike C earliest recorded revision

Gender Masculine
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. RUS-əl

Meaning & History

From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.

This name was common throughout the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, though in the 1960s it began a slow decline in most places.