Rusty

Rusty began as a nickname associated with a rusty or reddish-brown hair color. It can also be used for Russell, a surname-derived name with its own red-haired history. That overlap gives Rusty two compatible routes: a descriptive nickname used directly, and a familiar form attached to a longer name.

Rusty has also been recorded as a full given name, so its informal sound does not require a separate formal version. The word's connection with a warm brown-red shade remains easy to recognize in English. For a family honoring someone who was always known as Rusty, choosing that exact name can preserve the sound used in daily life. The historical color association need not describe the hair of a new bearer.