Ruth
Girl · ROOTH · Hebrew
Timeless
Ruth is a girls' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “friend, companion”. In 2025 it ranked 541st for girls in the UK (80 babies) and 173rd for girls in the US (1,781 babies).
What does Ruth mean?
Hebrew
“friend, companion”
In the Bible, Ruth is the loyal Moabite widow who tells Naomi 'whither thou goest, I will go', and great-grandmother of King David.
- Say it
- ROOTH
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ruth a girl's or a boy's name?
Ruth is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 80 girls in the UK and 1,781 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ruth in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #541among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 80about 1 in 3,500 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 5% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 80 girls in the UK were named Ruth, making it the 541st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 600th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 454 girls.
Half of all the girls named Ruth in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 542nd in England and Wales, 632nd in Scotland and 397th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#73), 1914 (#62), 1924 (#55), 1934 (#50), 1944 (#65), 1954 (#65), 1964 (#62), 1974 (#56) and 1984 (#60).
Ruth in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | #541 |
| 2024 | 83 | #525 |
| 2023 | 80 | #533 |
| 2022 | 82 | #525 |
| 2021 | 78 | #563 |
| 2020 | 70 | #600 |
| 2019 | 81 | #551 |
| 2018 | 104 | #473 |
| 2017 | 123 | #401 |
| 2016 | 104 | #464 |
| 2015 | 113 | #434 |
| 2014 | 106 | #456 |
| 2013 | 118 | #404 |
| 2012 | 120 | #422 |
| 2011 | 121 | #418 |
| 2010 | 125 | #399 |
| 2009 | 156 | #327 |
| 2008 | 149 | #337 |
| 2007 | 137 | #354 |
| 2006 | 179 | #289 |
| 2005 | 203 | #254 |
| 2004 | 195 | #254 |
| 2003 | 202 | #248 |
| 2002 | 206 | #237 |
| 2001 | 246 | #188 |
| 2000 | 269 | #182 |
| 1999 | 301 | #167 |
| 1998 | 340 | #153 |
| 1997 | 410 | #137 |
| 1996 | 454 | #110 |
How popular is Ruth in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #173among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 1,781about 1 in 900 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 32% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.5%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 1,781 girls in the US were named Ruth, making it the 173rd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 219th. Its busiest year was 1920, with 26,102 girls.
Half of all the girls named Ruth in the US since 1880 were born between 1917 and 1944, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ruth in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,781 | #173 |
| 2024 | 1,787 | #171 |
| 2023 | 1,604 | #187 |
| 2022 | 1,668 | #179 |
| 2021 | 1,579 | #187 |
| 2020 | 1,327 | #219 |
| 2019 | 1,351 | #231 |
| 2018 | 1,251 | #261 |
| 2017 | 1,213 | #264 |
| 2016 | 1,103 | #295 |
| 2015 | 1,110 | #291 |
| 2014 | 1,064 | #305 |
| 2013 | 993 | #327 |
| 2012 | 931 | #338 |
| 2011 | 907 | #355 |
| 2010 | 934 | #345 |
| 2009 | 916 | #354 |
| 2008 | 929 | #355 |
| 2007 | 964 | #344 |
| 2006 | 892 | #363 |
| 2005 | 908 | #347 |
| 2004 | 915 | #349 |
| 2003 | 897 | #344 |
| 2002 | 906 | #334 |
| 2001 | 951 | #326 |
| 2000 | 909 | #339 |
| 1999 | 875 | #343 |
| 1998 | 853 | #342 |
| 1997 | 857 | #333 |
| 1996 | 802 | #346 |
| 1995 | 853 | #320 |
| 1994 | 882 | #308 |
| 1993 | 861 | #308 |
| 1992 | 855 | #319 |
| 1991 | 985 | #285 |
| 1990 | 907 | #305 |
| 1989 | 987 | #273 |
| 1988 | 997 | #256 |
| 1987 | 1,031 | #248 |
| 1986 | 1,084 | #238 |
| 1985 | 1,116 | #232 |
| 1984 | 1,165 | #222 |
| 1983 | 1,121 | #223 |
| 1982 | 1,178 | #222 |
| 1981 | 1,267 | #207 |
| 1980 | 1,258 | #207 |
| 1979 | 1,202 | #216 |
| 1978 | 1,208 | #212 |
| 1977 | 1,192 | #212 |
| 1976 | 1,198 | #205 |
| 1975 | 1,230 | #199 |
| 1974 | 1,299 | #195 |
| 1973 | 1,273 | #201 |
| 1972 | 1,383 | #201 |
| 1971 | 1,629 | #190 |
| 1970 | 1,817 | #178 |
| 1969 | 1,900 | #168 |
| 1968 | 2,151 | #149 |
| 1967 | 2,420 | #145 |
| 1966 | 2,845 | #128 |
| 1965 | 3,231 | #118 |
| 1964 | 3,640 | #114 |
| 1963 | 3,869 | #113 |
| 1962 | 4,294 | #104 |
| 1961 | 4,896 | #96 |
| 1960 | 4,943 | #97 |
| 1959 | 5,057 | #97 |
| 1958 | 5,247 | #90 |
| 1957 | 5,667 | #84 |
| 1956 | 6,075 | #77 |
| 1955 | 6,187 | #70 |
| 1954 | 6,566 | #66 |
| 1953 | 6,582 | #62 |
| 1952 | 6,953 | #57 |
| 1951 | 7,076 | #53 |
| 1950 | 7,128 | #49 |
| 1949 | 7,651 | #47 |
| 1948 | 7,903 | #45 |
| 1947 | 8,482 | #44 |
| 1946 | 8,474 | #38 |
| 1945 | 8,046 | #33 |
| 1944 | 8,674 | #32 |
| 1943 | 9,370 | #33 |
| 1942 | 9,315 | #33 |
| 1941 | 8,863 | #28 |
| 1940 | 8,888 | #24 |
| 1939 | 9,062 | #22 |
| 1938 | 9,303 | #21 |
| 1937 | 9,602 | #15 |
| 1936 | 9,217 | #16 |
| 1935 | 9,988 | #15 |
| 1934 | 10,565 | #13 |
| 1933 | 11,136 | #13 |
| 1932 | 12,257 | #11 |
| 1931 | 13,132 | #11 |
| 1930 | 14,942 | #10 |
| 1929 | 16,021 | #8 |
| 1928 | 17,859 | #6 |
| 1927 | 19,412 | #6 |
| 1926 | 20,225 | #6 |
| 1925 | 22,247 | #6 |
| 1924 | 23,601 | #6 |
| 1923 | 23,637 | #6 |
| 1922 | 23,633 | #5 |
| 1921 | 25,783 | #5 |
| 1920 | 26,102 | #5 |
| 1919 | 24,562 | #5 |
| 1918 | 25,535 | #5 |
| 1917 | 23,568 | #5 |
| 1916 | 23,189 | #5 |
| 1915 | 21,878 | #5 |
| 1914 | 15,839 | #5 |
| 1913 | 12,609 | #5 |
| 1912 | 11,280 | #5 |
| 1911 | 8,003 | #5 |
| 1910 | 7,212 | #5 |
| 1909 | 6,509 | #4 |
| 1908 | 6,180 | #4 |
| 1907 | 5,573 | #5 |
| 1906 | 5,140 | #5 |
| 1905 | 5,068 | #5 |
| 1904 | 4,900 | #5 |
| 1903 | 4,517 | #5 |
| 1902 | 4,384 | #5 |
| 1901 | 3,974 | #5 |
| 1900 | 4,765 | #5 |
| 1899 | 3,912 | #5 |
| 1898 | 4,249 | #5 |
| 1897 | 3,878 | #5 |
| 1896 | 3,905 | #5 |
| 1895 | 3,551 | #6 |
| 1894 | 3,372 | #6 |
| 1893 | 3,658 | #3 |
| 1892 | 3,290 | #5 |
| 1891 | 1,857 | #19 |
| 1890 | 1,195 | #46 |
| 1889 | 1,073 | #46 |
| 1888 | 850 | #59 |
| 1887 | 627 | #62 |
| 1886 | 581 | #66 |
| 1885 | 506 | #70 |
| 1884 | 442 | #74 |
| 1883 | 387 | #73 |
| 1882 | 323 | #80 |
| 1881 | 275 | #84 |
| 1880 | 234 | #93 |
Nicknames for Ruth
Names like Ruth
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Elizabeth Sarah Anna Annie Mary Elsie Rose Josephine Alice Charlotte Ruby Emma
Names related to Ruth
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