Girl nameCurrently #172 in the USRising
Ruth
ROOTH//ruːθ//
1 syllablePeak year: 19204 lettersStarts with R
Meaning & origin
Friend, companion
Ruth comes from a Hebrew root often linked to friendship or companionship, and in the biblical Book of Ruth she is the loyal Moabite woman whose devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi is a central story of loyalty. A steady classic for centuries, it has a quiet, dignified simplicity.
Ruth's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Ruth |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 234 |
| 1881 | 275 |
| 1882 | 323 |
| 1883 | 387 |
| 1884 | 442 |
| 1885 | 511 |
| 1886 | 581 |
| 1887 | 632 |
| 1888 | 850 |
| 1889 | 1,073 |
| 1890 | 1,200 |
| 1891 | 1,857 |
| 1892 | 3,302 |
| 1893 | 3,670 |
| 1894 | 3,387 |
| 1895 | 3,558 |
| 1896 | 3,917 |
| 1897 | 3,898 |
| 1898 | 4,264 |
| 1899 | 3,921 |
| 1900 | 4,781 |
| 1901 | 3,989 |
| 1902 | 4,401 |
| 1903 | 4,530 |
| 1904 | 4,915 |
| 1905 | 5,088 |
| 1906 | 5,159 |
| 1907 | 5,588 |
| 1908 | 6,200 |
| 1909 | 6,526 |
| 1910 | 7,247 |
| 1911 | 8,032 |
| 1912 | 11,323 |
| 1913 | 12,642 |
| 1914 | 15,885 |
| 1915 | 21,924 |
| 1916 | 23,244 |
| 1917 | 23,618 |
| 1918 | 25,582 |
| 1919 | 24,625 |
| 1920 | 26,156 |
| 1921 | 25,841 |
| 1922 | 23,706 |
| 1923 | 23,700 |
| 1924 | 23,671 |
| 1925 | 22,324 |
| 1926 | 20,298 |
| 1927 | 19,503 |
| 1928 | 17,927 |
| 1929 | 16,092 |
| 1930 | 15,012 |
| 1931 | 13,191 |
| 1932 | 12,332 |
| 1933 | 11,189 |
| 1934 | 10,630 |
| 1935 | 10,041 |
| 1936 | 9,260 |
| 1937 | 9,651 |
| 1938 | 9,346 |
| 1939 | 9,113 |
| 1940 | 8,923 |
| 1941 | 8,902 |
| 1942 | 9,358 |
| 1943 | 9,411 |
| 1944 | 8,706 |
| 1945 | 8,065 |
| 1946 | 8,505 |
| 1947 | 8,506 |
| 1948 | 7,917 |
| 1949 | 7,672 |
| 1950 | 7,138 |
| 1951 | 7,087 |
| 1952 | 6,970 |
| 1953 | 6,591 |
| 1954 | 6,574 |
| 1955 | 6,204 |
| 1956 | 6,088 |
| 1957 | 5,687 |
| 1958 | 5,260 |
| 1959 | 5,068 |
| 1960 | 4,959 |
| 1961 | 4,908 |
| 1962 | 4,315 |
| 1963 | 3,886 |
| 1964 | 3,657 |
| 1965 | 3,243 |
| 1966 | 2,857 |
| 1967 | 2,435 |
| 1968 | 2,158 |
| 1969 | 1,908 |
| 1970 | 1,827 |
| 1971 | 1,641 |
| 1972 | 1,383 |
| 1973 | 1,287 |
| 1974 | 1,304 |
| 1975 | 1,235 |
| 1976 | 1,209 |
| 1977 | 1,199 |
| 1978 | 1,219 |
| 1979 | 1,210 |
| 1980 | 1,266 |
| 1981 | 1,273 |
| 1982 | 1,193 |
| 1983 | 1,135 |
| 1984 | 1,176 |
| 1985 | 1,125 |
| 1986 | 1,097 |
| 1987 | 1,040 |
| 1988 | 1,011 |
| 1989 | 998 |
| 1990 | 915 |
| 1991 | 990 |
| 1992 | 855 |
| 1993 | 866 |
| 1994 | 882 |
| 1995 | 859 |
| 1996 | 802 |
| 1997 | 857 |
| 1998 | 853 |
| 1999 | 875 |
| 2000 | 909 |
| 2001 | 951 |
| 2002 | 905 |
| 2003 | 896 |
| 2004 | 914 |
| 2005 | 908 |
| 2006 | 891 |
| 2007 | 963 |
| 2008 | 933 |
| 2009 | 915 |
| 2010 | 934 |
| 2011 | 906 |
| 2012 | 931 |
| 2013 | 993 |
| 2014 | 1,063 |
| 2015 | 1,109 |
| 2016 | 1,103 |
| 2017 | 1,212 |
| 2018 | 1,250 |
| 2019 | 1,351 |
| 2020 | 1,326 |
| 2021 | 1,578 |
| 2022 | 1,666 |
| 2023 | 1,602 |
| 2024 | 1,767 |
Ruth through the decades
- Ruth peaked in 1920, when 26,156 babies were named Ruth in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Ruth has risen 48% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Ruth currently ranks #172 in the US and is on the rise.
Nicknames
Ruthie
Variants & spellings
Ruthann
Famous people named Ruth
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg — US Supreme Court justice