Rua
Unisex · ROO-a · Irish
UnisexBig in Northern Ireland
Rua is a name of Irish origin, meaning “red, red-haired”. In 2025 it ranked 2,076th for girls in the UK (14 babies).
What does Rua mean?
Irish: modern Irish spelling of ruadh
“red, red-haired”
From the Irish rua, red-haired; the same Gaelic word gave Rob Roy MacGregor his nickname, Raibeart Ruadh.
- Say it
- ROO-a
Is Rua a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Rua has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 14 girls and 5 boys in the UK.
How popular is Rua in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,076among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 14about 1 in 20,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 225% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 14 girls in the UK were named Rua, making it the 2,076th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,274th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 19 girls. 5 boys were also named Rua in 2025 (3,747th for boys).
Half of all the girls named Rua in the UK since 1996 were born between 2019 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 17 girls in the UK were given Rua or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,538, up from #2,076 for this spelling alone.
- Rua 14
- Ruadh 3
In 2025, 74% of the babies named Rua in the UK were girls.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,786th in England and Wales and 290th in Northern Ireland.
Rua in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | #2,076 |
| 2024 | 19 | #1,662 |
| 2023 | 19 | #1,666 |
| 2022 | 11 | #2,450 |
| 2021 | 11 | #2,478 |
| 2020 | 7 | #3,274 |
| 2019 | 7 | #3,340 |
| 2018 | 2 | #7,433 |
| 2017 | 6 | #3,774 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,951 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 3 | #6,108 |
| 2011 | 1 | #7,717 |
| 2010 | 3 | #5,938 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 1 | #7,383 |
Names like Rua
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Raya Dua Ayra Ayla Minha Rosa Remi Orla Fiadh Mirha Ayah Maya
Other spellings of Rua
Names related to Rua
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