Ruth
Girl name · #173 in 2025 · Uniqueness 36/100
Ruth ranks #173 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 1,781 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #291, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,011 girls born in 2025 was named Ruth.
Babies named Ruth per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Ruth first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 234 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 26,102 girls were named Ruth — good for #5 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ruth against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ruth in class?
Ruth scores 36 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Ruth is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ruth is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ruths were TX (167), CA (115), NY (89), NC (70), OH (69). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Ruth
Statistically, parents drawn to Ruth tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rose, Edith, Annie, Mary, and Lena.
RoseEdithAnnieMaryLenaAlmaRosieHelen
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ruth | 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ruth a popular girl name?
Ruth ranked #173 among girls in 2025 with 1,781 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #291.
When was the name Ruth most popular?
Ruth peaked in 1920, when 26,102 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ruth?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,011 newborn American girls was named Ruth. It scores 36/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.