Ruth

Ruth: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “friend; companion”
Origin: Hebrew
Say it: ROOTH · 1 syllable
Used for: Girls

Biblical name borne by Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. The exact original nuance is debated, but friend or companion is the usual interpretation.

English names Hebrew names Names meaning love Names meaning faith Classic names Biblical names Short names

How popular is Ruth?

2024531 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Ruth in 20241,767

2024 rank#172 girls

Peak year1909

Total US babies since 1880837,080

Ruth is rising: use over the last five years is 1.8× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Ruth

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Elizabethmy God is an oath · Hebrew
Elianamy God has answered · Hebrew
Abigailmy father is joy · Hebrew
Naomipleasantness · Hebrew
Hannahgrace; favor · Hebrew
Maryuncertain, traditionally beloved or bitter · Hebrew
Delilahdelicate · Hebrew
Leahweary; uncertain · Hebrew

Ruth questions

What does the name Ruth mean?

Ruth means "friend; companion". It comes from Hebrew. Biblical name borne by Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. The exact original nuance is debated, but friend or companion is the usual interpretation.

Is Ruth a boy or girl name?

Ruth is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Ruth?

1,767 US babies were named Ruth in 2024. Its peak year was 1909.

How do you pronounce Ruth?

Ruth is usually pronounced ROOTH.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.