♡
Why parents love Ruth- The Book of Ruth's loyalty oath is the most quoted passage at weddings.
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a modern icon of justice.
- Four letters, one syllable — utterly simple and complete.
- The meaning friend/companion is deeply personal.
- It's dropped enough in popularity to feel distinctive and ripe for revival.
◎
The vibe of Ruth
loyalbiblicaljusticesimplestrongcompaniontenaciousdevoted
◎
Origin & history of Ruth
Hebrew רוּת (Rūṯ, friend/companion)
→ English Ruth
1
Hebrew roots
Ruth comes from the Hebrew Rūṯ, meaning friend or companion. The Book of Ruth tells the story of Ruth the Moabite, who refuses to leave her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi after both their husbands die. Her declaration of loyalty is one of the most quoted passages in scripture. Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020) served on the US Supreme Court for 27 years and became a cultural icon, the Notorious RBG, for her tireless advocacy for gender equality. The name held a top-5 US position for decades before fading, and is now primed for rediscovery.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Biblical — the Book of Ruth tells the story of Ruth the Moabite's loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi.
3
Today
Ruth remains a beloved choice, ranking #229 in the US. 837,080 babies have been named Ruth since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, Book of Ruth, SSA data
◆
How popular is Ruth?
1920
peak year
Ruth was a name of the Roaring Twenties. Through that decade it averaged #6 nationally — one of the era's most chosen names. In 1920, 26,102 babies were given the name — making it the #5 most popular name in the United States that year. In the present decade it sits around #229, with about 1,396 babies given the name annually. Ruth has been trending upward in recent years. The all-time total comes to roughly 837,080 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
26,102
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #5)
(ranked #5)
1,396
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
13,960
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
837,080
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
✦
Numerology of Ruth4
Life path number
The Builder
Discipline, reliability and masterful building.
Ruth's Life Path 5 is the adventurer's number — fitting for a woman who left her homeland to follow love and loyalty into an unknown country. People named Ruth tend to be loyal, courageous, and willing to journey into the unknown for the people they love.
♡
Loyal beyond measure✦
Journeys for love◈
Courageous companion◎
Tenacious justice♡
Friendship as destinyR9
U3
T2
H8
Sum: 22 → Life path 4
♡
Personality of Ruth🏛️
Steady & reliable
When they make a promise, they keep it.
📐
Methodical
Thorough, careful, precise.
💪
Quietly powerful
Their strength is always there when it matters.
🌿
Grounded
No matter what swirls around them, they stay centred.
◆
Famous people named RuthClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
R
Ruth (Biblical)
Heroine whose loyalty to Naomi is scripture's most beautiful friendship.
R
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice and cultural icon, the Notorious RBG.
R
Babe Ruth
The greatest baseball player of all time (surname).
R
Ruth Wilson
British actress known for Luther and Mrs Wilson.
R
Ruth Negga
Ethiopian-Irish actress nominated for an Oscar for Loving.
◎
If you like Ruth, you may also love◎
Names that sound like RuthIf you love Ruth, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
♩
Names that combine with RuthSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Ruth.
♡
Middle names for RuthThe right middle name turns Ruth into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Ruth? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Ruth →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
Ruth is a beautiful choice.
Save it to your list, share it with your partner, or keep exploring.