Ruel
Boy · ROO-el · Hebrew
Ruel is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “friend of God”. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 6,140th for boys in the US (14 babies).
What does Ruel mean?
Hebrew: variant of Reuel
“friend of God”
Reuel is a name for Moses' father-in-law in the Book of Exodus, and was J. R. R. Tolkien's middle name.
- Say it
- ROO-el
Is Ruel a girl's or a boy's name?
Ruel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 14 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ruel in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,329among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6about 1 in 50,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Ruel, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,143rd.
2025 had the most boys named Ruel of any year since it first appeared, in 2000.
In 2025, 25 boys in the UK were given Ruel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,076, up from #3,329 for this spelling alone.
- Reuel 19
- Ruel 6
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.
Ruel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #3,329 |
| 2024 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 1 | #6,143 |
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,161 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 3 | #4,955 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 3 | #4,204 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
How popular is Ruel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #6,140among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 14about 1 in 120,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 14 boys in the US were named Ruel, making it the 6,140th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 12,016th. Its busiest year was 1915, with 49 boys. It first appears in the records in 1882.
2025 had more boys named Ruel than any year since 1990.
Half of all the boys named Ruel in the US since 1880 were born between 1922 and 1968, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 49 boys in the US were given Ruel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #2,241, up from #6,140 for this spelling alone.
- Reuel 35
- Ruel 14
Ruel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | #6,140 |
| 2024 | 11 | #7,252 |
| 2023 | 10 | #7,733 |
| 2022 | 10 | #7,762 |
| 2021 | 7 | #9,709 |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 8 | #8,883 |
| 2018 | 11 | #7,132 |
| 2017 | 7 | #9,691 |
| 2016 | 8 | #8,811 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 13 | #6,303 |
| 2013 | 9 | #8,113 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9,703 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8,072 |
| 2010 | 11 | #7,081 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 8 | #8,292 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6,132 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7,824 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7,048 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7,529 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 6 | #8,697 |
| 1998 | 10 | #5,834 |
| 1997 | 6 | #8,104 |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 9 | #5,922 |
| 1994 | 8 | #6,366 |
| 1993 | 13 | #4,440 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,228 |
| 1991 | 10 | #5,088 |
| 1990 | 14 | #3,965 |
| 1989 | 12 | #4,265 |
| 1988 | 6 | #6,420 |
| 1987 | 8 | #4,962 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 6 | #5,557 |
| 1983 | 8 | #4,497 |
| 1982 | 6 | #5,617 |
| 1981 | 6 | #5,466 |
| 1980 | 9 | #4,133 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,056 |
| 1977 | 10 | #3,604 |
| 1976 | 12 | #3,093 |
| 1975 | 7 | #4,307 |
| 1974 | 10 | #3,316 |
| 1973 | 9 | #3,443 |
| 1972 | 9 | #3,342 |
| 1971 | 15 | #2,463 |
| 1970 | 13 | #2,620 |
| 1969 | 9 | #3,061 |
| 1968 | 16 | #2,029 |
| 1967 | 15 | #2,029 |
| 1966 | 12 | #2,326 |
| 1965 | 8 | #2,980 |
| 1964 | 11 | #2,545 |
| 1963 | 8 | #3,043 |
| 1962 | 9 | #2,846 |
| 1961 | 10 | #2,704 |
| 1960 | 17 | #1,972 |
| 1959 | 15 | #2,110 |
| 1958 | 13 | #2,263 |
| 1957 | 16 | #2,018 |
| 1956 | 16 | #2,014 |
| 1955 | 16 | #1,978 |
| 1954 | 14 | #2,113 |
| 1953 | 15 | #2,037 |
| 1952 | 11 | #2,374 |
| 1951 | 16 | #1,903 |
| 1950 | 23 | #1,537 |
| 1949 | 15 | #1,940 |
| 1948 | 15 | #1,942 |
| 1947 | 17 | #1,849 |
| 1946 | 25 | #1,408 |
| 1945 | 17 | #1,632 |
| 1944 | 19 | #1,573 |
| 1943 | 14 | #1,985 |
| 1942 | 22 | #1,496 |
| 1941 | 17 | #1,685 |
| 1940 | 19 | #1,573 |
| 1939 | 30 | #1,194 |
| 1938 | 21 | #1,476 |
| 1937 | 20 | #1,528 |
| 1936 | 30 | #1,205 |
| 1935 | 15 | #1,837 |
| 1934 | 26 | #1,323 |
| 1933 | 37 | #1,078 |
| 1932 | 26 | #1,356 |
| 1931 | 24 | #1,427 |
| 1930 | 31 | #1,283 |
| 1929 | 32 | #1,237 |
| 1928 | 28 | #1,382 |
| 1927 | 42 | #1,098 |
| 1926 | 33 | #1,264 |
| 1925 | 46 | #1,012 |
| 1924 | 47 | #1,032 |
| 1923 | 38 | #1,157 |
| 1922 | 38 | #1,158 |
| 1921 | 38 | #1,159 |
| 1920 | 30 | #1,323 |
| 1919 | 34 | #1,207 |
| 1918 | 29 | #1,312 |
| 1917 | 29 | #1,264 |
| 1916 | 32 | #1,157 |
| 1915 | 49 | #879 |
| 1914 | 28 | #1,073 |
| 1913 | 24 | #1,023 |
| 1912 | 21 | #1,000 |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,536 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,192 |
| 1909 | 9 | #1,020 |
| 1908 | 6 | #1,216 |
| 1907 | 7 | #1,093 |
| 1906 | 9 | #852 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,001 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 11 | #696 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 6 | #942 |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,049 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 7 | #884 |
| 1897 | 6 | #941 |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 7 | #856 |
| 1893 | 10 | #650 |
| 1892 | 7 | #860 |
| 1891 | 5 | #962 |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 5 | #921 |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 5 | #942 |
Names like Ruel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rupert Reuben Ellis Arthur Alfred Archie Wilfred Otis Albert Louie Ralph Chester
Other spellings of Ruel
More Hebrew names
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