Ruth
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Ruth
Ruth, with its air of calm and compassion, was the third most popular name in the 1890s, remaining in the Top 10 through the 1920s. It's still in use today as some parents tiring of Rachel and Rebecca are giving Ruth a second thought. Some see such Old Testament girls’ names as Ruth and Esther rising on the heels of boy equivalents Abel and Moses.
The biblical Ruth was the loyal and devoted daughter-in-law of Naomi who, when electing to leave her people and stay with the older woman, speaks the famous lines, "Whither thou goest, I will go."
Ruth has had numerous notable namesakes, from Supreme Court justice Ginsburg to crime writer Rendell to sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
Ruth is also given to boys.
Pronounced ROOTH.
As of October 2026, Ruth ranked #173 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #3 in 1893, Nameberry popularity #321.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #309 | 1,063 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #292 | 1,109 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #295 | 1,103 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #264 | 1,212 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #262 | 1,250 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #231 | 1,351 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #219 | 1,326 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #187 | 1,578 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #179 | 1,666 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #187 | 1,602 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #172 | 1,767 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #173 | 1,781 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Ruth.
Ruth on lists
Famous Ruths
- RuthGirl
Biblical daughter,in,law of Naomi
- Joan Ruth Bader GinsburgGirl
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- Ruth NeggaGirl
Irish,Ethiopian actress and Academy Award nominee
- Ruth ClevelandGirl
daughter of U.S. President Grover Cleveland; inspiration for the Baby Ruth bar
- Ruth WilsonGirl
English actress
- Dr. Ruth Westheimer (born Karola Ruth Siegel)Girl
German,American sex therapist
- Ruth Ann BuzziGirl
American comedienne
- Ruth Fulton BenedictGirl
American anthropologist
- Ruth Carter StapletonGirl
American Christian author
- Ruth Flora DisneyGirl
sister of Walt Disney
- Ruth MalcolmsonGirl
Miss America 1924
- Ruth Barbara RendellGirl
Baroness Rendell of Babergh, aka Barbara Vine, English thriller novelist
- Ruth Bell GrahamGirl
wife of evangelist Billy Graham
- Ruth PayneGirl
sister of Liam Payne of boy band One Direction
- Ruth RomanGirl
American actress
- Ruth CrillyGirl
English model and blogger
- Ruth Wendy LangsfordGirl
English TV presenter
- Ruth PointerGirl
singer with American R&B group The Pointer Sisters
- Ruth Weinstein (b. 2002)Girl
daughter of film producer Harvey Weinstein
- Ruth Ray De La luz 'Ruthie Ray' Leonard (b. 2019)Girl
daughter of Bekah Martinez and Grayston Leonard
- Ruth HarknessGirl
American explorer
Ruth in pop culture
- RuthGirl
eight book in the Bible
- Baby RuthGirl
candy bar named for Ruth Cleveland
- RuthGirl
main character in book/movie "Never Let Me Go"
- Ruth RoseGirl
main character in "A,Z Mysteries" by Ron Roy
- Ruth Dead (née Foster)Girl
character in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- Ruth Anne 'Ruthie' CamdenGirl
character on TV's '7th Heaven' named after her grandmother Ruth
- RuthGirl
pirate maid,of,all,work in opera "The Pirates of Penzance"
- RuthGirl
professional bridesmaid in opera "Ruddigore"
- Ruth PinchGirl
character in Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit"
- RuthGirl
Zionist with whom Clarel falls in love in "Clarel" by Herman Melville
- Mrs Ruth StockwoolGirl
companion to Ann Avice Caro in "The Well Beloved" (1897) by Thomas Hardy
- Ruth JeffersonGirl
main character in Jodi Picoult's novel "Small Great Things"
- Ruth Ann TorkelsonGirl
character on TV's "The Torkelsons"
- RuthGirl
Anne Miller, character from TV series "Northern Exposure"
- RuthGirl
archangel in Ghost Rider comics
- RuthGirl
character in George Alfred Henty's, The Cat of Bubastes
- RuthGirl
dragon in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern novels
- Ruth DeWitt BukaterGirl
character in movie "Titanic"
- Ruth O'Connor FisherGirl
character on TV's "Six Feet Under"
- Ruth FowlerGirl
character on British soap "EastEnders"
- Ruth EvershedGirl
character on British TV's "Spooks"
- Ruth WintersGirl
character on British TV's "Casualty"
- Ruth MartinGirl
mom on TV's "Lassie"
- Ruth MartinGirl
character on soap "All My Children"
- Ruth OsborneGirl
character on British soap "Hollyoaks"
- Ruth WilkinsonGirl
character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
- Ruth PowersGirl
character on TV's "The Simpsons"
- Ruth "Zoya the Destroya" WilderGirl
character on TV's "GLOW"
- RuthGirl
American Christian band
- Tina Ruth BelcherGirl
eldest daughter on Fox's "Bob's Burgers"
- "Ruth"Girl
A ballad in William Wordsworth's collection of poems, "Lyrical Ballads"
- ruth flemingGirl
character from “nerdy prudes must die”