NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Rusty

A masculine name derived from the color rust, often denoting reddish-brown hair.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Rusty is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rusty popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 5 births.

This profile covers 23 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2011 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 23 living people in the UK are called Rusty. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Rusty ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2015, when 5 boys were registered as Rusty.
  • About 23 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rusty as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4107

2023

Births in 2023

4

Latest year

Peak year

2015

5 births

Estimated living

23

2026

Meaning

What does Rusty mean?

The given name Rusty is an English nickname derived from the word "rust," which refers to the reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or steel due to oxidation. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "rust" and the Proto-Germanic word "rusto."

Rusty as a nickname likely emerged in the English-speaking world during the Middle Ages, when it was used to refer to someone with reddish-brown hair or a ruddy complexion. It may have also been used to describe someone who worked with iron or steel, such as a blacksmith or a metalworker.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rusty can be found in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the famous English poet and author of "The Canterbury Tales." In his poem "The Reeve's Tale," written around 1390, Chaucer mentions a character named "Rusty the Miller."

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Rusty. One of the most famous was Rusty Hamer (1944-1990), an American actor and singer best known for his roles in the television series "The Waltons" and the film "The Night They Raided Minsky's."

Another well-known Rusty was Rusty Young (1945-2021), an American singer and guitarist who co-founded the country rock band Poco. Young was known for his distinctive guitar playing and vocals on Poco's hit songs, including "Heart of the Night" and "Crazy Love."

Rusty Schweickart (born 1935) is an American aeronautical engineer and former NASA astronaut who flew on the Apollo 9 mission in 1969. He is best known for being the first person to perform an untethered spacewalk during this mission.

Rusty Staub (1944-2018) was a professional baseball player who played for several teams in Major League Baseball, including the Montreal Expos, the New York Mets, and the Detroit Tigers. He was a six-time All-Star and was known for his powerful hitting and charitable work off the field.

Rusty Reid (born 1945) is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his work on the television series "The Red Green Show." He played the character of Mike Hamar, the handyman sidekick to the show's titular character, Red Green.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rusty over time

The chart below shows babies named Rusty registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2011 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Rusty, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rusty
01345201120172023

Decades

Rusty by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rusty was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4448 7 2
2010s #4000 16 4

Related

Names similar to Rusty

FAQ

Rusty: questions and answers

How popular is the name Rusty in the UK right now?

In 2023, Rusty was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Rusty most popular?

The peak year on record was 2015, with 5 babies registered as Rusty in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rusty?

A masculine name derived from the color rust, often denoting reddish-brown hair.

How many people are called Rusty in the UK?

A total of 23 babies have been registered as Rusty across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.