Ruth
Ruth was the 173rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,781 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1920 (26,102). Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Ruth in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it ROOTH /ruθ/
- Rank in 2025
- #173 girls, up 46 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,781girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192026,102 babies
- Total since 1880
- 838,901babies recorded
What does the name Ruth mean?
Ruth is the Moabite woman of the Book of Ruth who stays loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi and becomes the great-grandmother of King David. DMNES calls the Hebrew name of uncertain meaning. Wiktionary and Wikipedia mention the common reading 'companion', linking it with Hebrew re'ut, 'friendship', which fits the story but is not certain. Wiktionary notes that English Puritans also associated it with the old English word ruth, 'compassion'. DMNES says it came into English use in the late 16th century.
רוּת (Biblical Hebrew, “Rut”)רְעוּת (Biblical Hebrew, “re'ut, companionship (proposed)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES: meaning uncertain; 'companion' is a common proposal.
Related names: Ruthie, Rut.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ruth', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Ruth 1:4, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ruth', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Ruth (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Ruth
The usual nicknames for Ruth are Ruthie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Ruth in the last five years, 17 were named Ruthie, against 7 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthie | Traditional | #781 | 1,441 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ruths go by each one.
Ruth popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,779 since 1885.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #173 | 1,781 |
| 2020 | #219 | 1,327 |
| 2010 | #345 | 934 |
| 2000 | #339 | 909 |
| 1990 | #305 | 907 |
| 1980 | #207 | 1,258 |
| 1970 | #178 | 1,817 |
| 1960 | #97 | 4,943 |
| 1950 | #49 | 7,128 |
| 1940 | #24 | 8,888 |
| 1930 | #10 | 14,942 |
| 1920 | #5 | 26,102 |
| 1910 | #5 | 7,212 |
| 1900 | #5 | 4,765 |
| 1890 | #46 | 1,195 |
| 1880 | #93 | 234 |
How popular is Ruth, counting every spelling?
Ruth has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #195 for girls in 2025, against #173 on the official list, because Kaylani/Kailani/Keilani and Adalynn/Adalyn/Addalyn and Kaylee/Kaeli/Keily move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Ruth?
1,781 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ruth (0.49 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ruth born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ruth.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ruth?
About 212,900 people born in the US named Ruth are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 50 and 80. That makes Ruth a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ruth by state
How common Ruth was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (3.7×), South Dakota (3.2×), North Dakota (3.1×), Alaska (3.1×), District of Columbia (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, New Mexico, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ruth: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ruth, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ruth · Sibling names for Ruth
Questions about the name Ruth
What does Ruth mean?
The origin of Ruth is uncertain: DMNES: meaning uncertain; 'companion' is a common proposal.
How popular is the name Ruth?
Ruth was the 173rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,781 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1920 (26,102). Over the last ten years it has moved up 118 places. More babies were named Ruth in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ruth a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ruth in the US.
Where is Ruth most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ruth was most common in Montana (3.84 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and South Dakota.