The first name Ruth
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “companion”, “compassion”.
Pronounced /ɹuːθ/ 1 syllable Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Ruth means “companion”, “compassion” in Hebrew.
From Ruth the Moabite, Hebrew רות, of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "companion". Also associated with the English noun ruth (“compassion”) by Puritans.
More names that mean friend.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 73 girls were named Ruth, making it the 542nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 381 births (#120).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ruth with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ruth at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,781 girls born in the United States were named Ruth, the 173rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 26,102 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ruth in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ruth in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latin, Norwegian, Tagalog and Welsh too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Ruth
189 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ruth Bader GinsburgAmerican lawyer and jurist (1933–2020)
- Ruth BenedictAmerican anthropologist and folklorologist (1887-1948)
- Ruth GordonAmerican actress and writer (1896–1985)
- Ruth HandlerAmerican businesswoman, 1916–2002
- Ruth Prawer JhabvalaGerman-born British-American author (1927-2013)
- Ruth RendellBritish writer (1930-2015)
- Ruth NeggaEthiopian-Irish actress, born 1981
- Ruth WestheimerGerman-American sex therapist, 1928–2024
- Ruth BuzziAmerican actress, comedian, and singer, 1936–2025
- Ruth WilsonBritish actress, born 1982
- Ruth ChattertonAmerican actress (1892–1961)
- Ruth BrownAmerican singer-songwriter (1928-2006)
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ruth mean?
- Ruth means “companion”, “compassion” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Ruth?
- From Ruth the Moabite, Hebrew רות, of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "companion". Also associated with the English noun ruth (“compassion”) by Puritans.
- How popular is the name Ruth?
- In 2025, 73 girls born in England and Wales were named Ruth, ranking 542nd. Its peak was 1996, with 381 births.
- What are nicknames for Ruth?
- Common nicknames for Ruth include Ruthie, Ruthy.
- Is Ruth a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 838,901 US babies named Ruth since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ruth most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 26,102 babies were named Ruth, its highest rank at 5th.
- How do you pronounce Ruth?
- Ruth is /ɹuːθ/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Ruth?
- Routh.
- Is Ruth also a surname?
- Yes. Ruth is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.