Ruth
Girl nameRuth has been given to 838,901 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1920 and currently ranks #173 for girls (2025).
Meaning & origin /ɹuːθ/
From Ruth the Moabite, Hebrew רות, of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "companion". Also associated with the English noun ruth (“compassion”) by Puritans.
Origin: Hebrew
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
838,901
Peak year
1920 (26,156 babies)
Rank in 2025
#173 for girls
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +60%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Famous people named Ruth
Ruth Benedict
American anthropologist and folklorologist (1887-1948)
Ruth Gordon
American actress and writer (1896–1985)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
German-born British-American author (1927-2013)
Ruth
Protagonist of the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ruth.
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