Ruth is a distinctive choice, ranked #542 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ruth in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#542
US Rank #173
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About the Name Ruth
Ruth is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 85 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #120 in 1996 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Ruth is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ruth in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #172, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Ruth
Ruth Pointer — Ruth Esther Pointer is an American singer best known as the eldest member of the family vocal group the Pointer Sisters.
Ruth Gottesman — Ruth Levy Gottesman is an American educator.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ruth
Unlikely. With around 73 UK babies named Ruth per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ruth in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ruth has been fairly steady, ranked #542 in 2025 against #582 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #120 in 1996.
Ruth is more popular in the US (#172) than in the UK (#497). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Ruth include: Ruth Pointer, Ruth Gottesman and Ruth Slenczynska. Short summaries for each appear below.
Ruth appears in the US top 500 at #172 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
73
UK babies named Ruth (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 40 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ruth
Almost certainly the only Ruth in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Ruth
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.