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Ruth

Meaning: Possibly companion
Origin: Hebrew — Hebrew; origin uncertain

Nicknames: Ruthie, Ruthy

Girl's name · #173 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Ruth was #3 in 1893, slipped to #363, and is currently back at #173. It has spent 29 years inside the national top 5.

Across the states

See where Ruth is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 49 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Ruth ranks in other countries and regions.

#88 in Sweden (2025) · #114 in Ecuador (2025) · #262 in Ireland (2025) · #299 in Norway (2025) · #302 in New Zealand (2025) · #317 in Mexico (2024) · #494 in Belgium (2025) · #502 in N. Ireland (2025) · #549 in England & Wales (2025) · #612 in Austria (2025) · #760 in Scotland (2025) · #907 in Netherlands (2025) and 3 more.

Famous Ruths

Ruth Bader Ginsburg — American lawyer and jurist (1933–2020)
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 Handler — American businesswoman

In stories & tradition

Ruth — Protagonist of the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible
Ruth Evershed — Spooks (TV series)
Ruth Powers — The Simpsons (TV series)

What Ruths become

Among 3,816 notable people named Ruth:

Medical professionals appear 1.65× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ruth Pfau, German-Pakistani physician and Catholic nun (1929–2017).

Spellings & nicknames

About 290 girls a year are given Ruthie as their full name.

Similar names: Ruthie · Elsie · Ruby · Annie · Ada · Eva

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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