Rue
Unisex · ROO · English
Unisex
Rue is a name of English origin, meaning “rue, a bitter herb”. In 2025 it ranked 681st for girls in the UK (59 babies) and 1,318th for girls in the US (169 babies).
What does Rue mean?
English: plant name; also a short form of Ruth
“rue, a bitter herb”
A bitter herb once called herb of grace, given out by Ophelia in Hamlet; Rue is also a character in The Hunger Games.
- Say it
- ROO
Is Rue a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Rue has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 59 girls and 18 boys in the UK and 169 girls and 10 boys in the US.
How popular is Rue in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #681among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 59about 1 in 4,700 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 420% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 59 girls in the UK were named Rue, making it the 681st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,647th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 80 girls. 18 boys were also named Rue in 2025 (1,537th for boys).
Half of all the girls named Rue in the UK since 1996 were born between 2021 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 100 girls in the UK were given Rue or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #441, up from #681 for this spelling alone.
In 2025, 77% of the babies named Rue in the UK were girls.
Among girls in 2025, it was 733rd in England and Wales, 474th in Scotland and 397th in Northern Ireland.
Rue in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #681 |
| 2024 | 80 | #542 |
| 2023 | 69 | #601 |
| 2022 | 31 | #1,150 |
| 2021 | 26 | #1,323 |
| 2020 | 19 | #1,647 |
| 2019 | 15 | #1,958 |
| 2018 | 6 | #3,702 |
| 2017 | 9 | #2,864 |
| 2016 | 13 | #2,224 |
| 2015 | 8 | #3,114 |
| 2014 | 10 | #2,618 |
| 2013 | 3 | #6,003 |
How popular is Rue in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,318among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 169about 1 in 9,500 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 276% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 169 girls in the US were named Rue, making it the 1,318th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,468th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 188 girls. It first appears in the records in 1896. 10 boys were also named Rue in 2025 (7,675th for boys).
Half of all the girls named Rue in the US since 1880 were born between 2012 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 195 girls in the US were given Rue or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,073, up from #1,318 for this spelling alone.
- Rue 169
- Roux 26
Rue in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 169 | #1,318 |
| 2024 | 188 | #1,240 |
| 2023 | 184 | #1,253 |
| 2022 | 183 | #1,292 |
| 2021 | 118 | #1,739 |
| 2020 | 70 | #2,468 |
| 2019 | 41 | #3,664 |
| 2018 | 33 | #4,236 |
| 2017 | 44 | #3,478 |
| 2016 | 36 | #4,082 |
| 2015 | 27 | #4,979 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4,453 |
| 2013 | 27 | #5,011 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4,484 |
| 2011 | 13 | #8,610 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11,240 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 6 | #8,560 |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 5 | #8,322 |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 8 | #4,864 |
| 1961 | 5 | #6,566 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 11 | #3,746 |
| 1957 | 5 | #6,085 |
| 1956 | 10 | #3,909 |
| 1955 | 6 | #5,207 |
| 1954 | 12 | #3,324 |
| 1953 | 8 | #4,225 |
| 1952 | 5 | #5,561 |
| 1951 | 6 | #4,832 |
| 1950 | 9 | #3,660 |
| 1949 | 7 | #4,234 |
| 1948 | 10 | #3,349 |
| 1947 | 6 | #4,762 |
| 1946 | 5 | #4,958 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 7 | #3,685 |
| 1943 | 7 | #3,800 |
| 1942 | 8 | #3,442 |
| 1941 | 9 | #3,028 |
| 1940 | 5 | #4,347 |
| 1939 | 5 | #4,248 |
| 1938 | 9 | #2,938 |
| 1937 | 13 | #2,317 |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 11 | #2,573 |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 5 | #4,216 |
| 1932 | 8 | #3,272 |
| 1931 | 6 | #3,846 |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,343 |
| 1929 | 8 | #3,392 |
| 1928 | 10 | #2,952 |
| 1927 | 7 | #3,873 |
| 1926 | 7 | #3,872 |
| 1925 | 12 | #2,777 |
| 1924 | 7 | #4,000 |
| 1923 | 10 | #3,124 |
| 1922 | 5 | #5,007 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 9 | #3,339 |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 6 | #4,289 |
| 1917 | 11 | #2,692 |
| 1916 | 5 | #4,415 |
| 1915 | 10 | #2,687 |
| 1914 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 9 | #1,980 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,592 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,560 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 5 | #1,582 |
Names like Rue
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Emmie Evie Olive Harper Elodie Primrose Willow Isla Hallie Ivy Hazel Frankie
Other spellings of Rue
Roux Roo Rhue
Names related to Rue
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Grace Violet Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Carter Harrison River Ellie