Find out how popular the first name Rusty has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Rusty by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Rusty is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 97% of people named Rusty being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 38 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Rusty.

The history of the first name Rusty

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.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Rusty was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rusty, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!