Ruthie
Ruthie was the 781st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 349 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 314th; the most babies were born in 1927 (428). Over the last ten years it has moved up 825 places. More babies were named Ruthie in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Ruth · Hebrew, English
Say it ROO-thee /ˈɹuθi/
- Rank in 2025
- #781 girls, up 473 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 349girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1927428 babies
- Total since 1880
- 22,656babies recorded
What does the name Ruthie mean?
Ruthie is a pet form of Ruth, with the -ie ending. Ruth is the Moabite heroine of the biblical Book of Ruth, who stays with her mother-in-law Naomi. The meaning of the Hebrew name is uncertain: it is often linked with reʿut 'friendship, companion', but the spelling makes that difficult, and other proposals exist. The English word ruth 'pity, compassion' is unrelated but helped the name's appeal to Puritans.
רוּת (Rut) (Biblical Hebrew, “Ruth”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Ruth's Hebrew meaning is not established.
Other explanations you may read: Ruth means 'friend' (reʿut).
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ruthie', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ruth', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Hebrew Bible, Ruth 1:16 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
Ruthie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 32 since 1929.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #781 | 349 |
| 2020 | #1,254 | 182 |
| 2010 | #1,974 | 102 |
| 2000 | #4,376 | 28 |
| 1990 | #4,094 | 25 |
| 1980 | #1,731 | 65 |
| 1970 | #1,235 | 91 |
| 1960 | #608 | 271 |
| 1950 | #412 | 377 |
| 1940 | #317 | 401 |
| 1930 | #330 | 397 |
| 1920 | #442 | 233 |
| 1910 | #535 | 59 |
| 1900 | #827 | 21 |
| 1890 | #1,319 | 6 |
| 1880 | #925 | 5 |
How popular is Ruthie, counting every spelling?
Ruthie is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #767 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #781 for Ruthie on its own. Together these spellings went to 357 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthie | 349 | #781 | 1,441 |
| Ruthy | 8 | #11,734 | 47 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ruthie?
349 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ruthie (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ruthie 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ruthie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ruthie?
About 11,800 people born in the US named Ruthie are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 18 and 77. That makes Ruthie a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Ruthie by state
How common Ruthie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (4.3×), Iowa (3.8×), Tennessee (3.5×), Arkansas (3.0×), Missouri (2.5×). In 18 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ruthie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ruthie, they share its era and feel.
Ruthie is also a nickname for Ruth.
Questions about the name Ruthie
What does Ruthie mean?
Ruthie is usually explained as “pet form of Ruth”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Ruthie?
Ruthie was the 781st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 349 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 314th; the most babies were born in 1927 (428). Over the last ten years it has moved up 825 places. More babies were named Ruthie in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Ruthie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ruthie in the US.
Where is Ruthie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ruthie was most common in Alabama (0.76 per 1,000 girls), followed by Iowa and Tennessee.