Ruth remains a common girls' name (#173 in 2025), down from a peak of #3 in 1893.
Ruth is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #173 for girl births in the United States (and #382 across all names), given to 1,781 babies. Ruth was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1920 (26,102 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,781 | 1,781 | #173 | — |
| 2024 | 1,787 | 1,787 | #172 | — |
| 2023 | 1,604 | 1,604 | #187 | — |
| 2022 | 1,668 | 1,668 | #179 | — |
| 2021 | 1,579 | 1,579 | #187 | — |
| 2020 | 1,327 | 1,327 | #219 | — |
| 2019 | 1,351 | 1,357 | #231 | — |
| 2018 | 1,251 | 1,251 | #261 | — |
| 2017 | 1,213 | 1,223 | #264 | — |
| 2016 | 1,103 | 1,103 | #295 | — |
| 2015 | 1,110 | 1,115 | #291 | — |
| 2014 | 1,064 | 1,064 | #307 | — |
| 2013 | 993 | 999 | #327 | — |
| 2012 | 931 | 938 | #340 | — |
| 2011 | 907 | 915 | #355 | — |
| 2010 | 934 | 944 | #345 | — |
| 2009 | 916 | 923 | #354 | — |
| 2008 | 934 | 946 | #356 | #14,211 |
| 2007 | 964 | 974 | #344 | — |
| 2006 | 892 | 903 | #363 | — |
| 2005 | 908 | 925 | #347 | — |
| 2004 | 915 | 933 | #350 | — |
| 2003 | 897 | 915 | #344 | — |
| 2002 | 906 | 917 | #334 | — |
| 2001 | 951 | 972 | #326 | — |
| 2000 | 909 | 941 | #339 | — |
| 1999 | 875 | 906 | #344 | — |
| 1998 | 853 | 889 | #342 | — |
| 1997 | 857 | — | #334 | — |
| 1996 | 802 | — | #346 | — |
| 1995 | 859 | — | #321 | #8,676 |
| 1994 | 882 | — | #309 | — |
| 1993 | 866 | — | #308 | #9,896 |
| 1992 | 855 | — | #319 | — |
| 1991 | 990 | — | #285 | #9,346 |
| 1990 | 915 | — | #305 | #6,305 |
| 1989 | 999 | — | #273 | #4,480 |
| 1988 | 1,011 | — | #256 | #3,673 |
| 1987 | 1,040 | — | #249 | #4,887 |
| 1986 | 1,097 | — | #238 | #3,615 |
| 1985 | 1,125 | — | #233 | #4,626 |
| 1984 | 1,176 | — | #223 | #3,889 |
| 1983 | 1,132 | — | #223 | #3,828 |
| 1982 | 1,193 | — | #222 | #3,078 |
| 1981 | 1,273 | — | #207 | #6,104 |
| 1980 | 1,266 | — | #207 | #4,860 |
| 1979 | 1,210 | — | #216 | #4,776 |
| 1978 | 1,219 | — | #212 | #3,566 |
| 1977 | 1,200 | — | #212 | #4,501 |
| 1976 | 1,209 | — | #205 | #3,443 |
| 1975 | 1,235 | — | #199 | #6,163 |
| 1974 | 1,304 | — | #195 | #5,861 |
| 1973 | 1,287 | — | #201 | #2,693 |
| 1972 | 1,383 | — | #201 | — |
| 1971 | 1,641 | — | #190 | #2,946 |
| 1970 | 1,828 | — | #178 | #3,036 |
| 1969 | 1,908 | — | #168 | #3,540 |
| 1968 | 2,159 | — | #149 | #3,321 |
| 1967 | 2,435 | — | #145 | #2,120 |
| 1966 | 2,856 | — | #128 | #2,598 |
| 1965 | 3,243 | — | #118 | #2,450 |
| 1964 | 3,657 | — | #114 | #2,027 |
| 1963 | 3,886 | — | #113 | #2,034 |
| 1962 | 4,316 | — | #104 | #1,749 |
| 1961 | 4,908 | — | #96 | #2,518 |
| 1960 | 4,960 | — | #97 | #2,025 |
| 1959 | 5,069 | — | #97 | #2,510 |
| 1958 | 5,260 | — | #90 | #2,349 |
| 1957 | 5,687 | — | #84 | #1,829 |
| 1956 | 6,088 | — | #77 | #2,351 |
| 1955 | 6,204 | — | #70 | #1,965 |
| 1954 | 6,574 | — | #66 | #3,136 |
| 1953 | 6,591 | — | #62 | #2,875 |
| 1952 | 6,970 | — | #57 | #1,929 |
| 1951 | 7,087 | — | #53 | #2,478 |
| 1950 | 7,138 | — | #49 | #2,554 |
| 1949 | 7,672 | — | #47 | #1,658 |
| 1948 | 7,917 | — | #45 | #2,100 |
| 1947 | 8,507 | — | #44 | #1,515 |
| 1946 | 8,504 | — | #38 | #1,295 |
| 1945 | 8,064 | — | #33 | #1,622 |
| 1944 | 8,706 | — | #32 | #1,188 |
| 1943 | 9,412 | — | #33 | #1,050 |
| 1942 | 9,358 | — | #33 | #1,034 |
| 1941 | 8,902 | — | #28 | #1,045 |
| 1940 | 8,924 | — | #24 | #1,105 |
| 1939 | 9,112 | — | #22 | #884 |
| 1938 | 9,346 | — | #21 | #975 |
| 1937 | 9,651 | — | #15 | #891 |
| 1936 | 9,260 | — | #16 | #947 |
| 1935 | 10,040 | — | #15 | #880 |
| 1934 | 10,630 | — | #13 | #770 |
| 1933 | 11,188 | — | #13 | #868 |
| 1932 | 12,333 | — | #11 | #717 |
| 1931 | 13,192 | — | #11 | #814 |
| 1930 | 15,012 | — | #10 | #770 |
| 1929 | 16,091 | — | #8 | #770 |
| 1928 | 17,927 | — | #6 | #795 |
| 1927 | 19,503 | — | #6 | #675 |
| 1926 | 20,298 | — | #6 | #758 |
| 1925 | 22,324 | — | #6 | #753 |
| 1924 | 23,672 | — | #6 | #807 |
| 1923 | 23,699 | — | #6 | #870 |
| 1922 | 23,706 | — | #5 | #788 |
| 1921 | 25,841 | — | #5 | #930 |
| 1920 | 26,156 | — | #5 | #945 |
| 1919 | 24,625 | — | #5 | #830 |
| 1918 | 25,582 | — | #5 | #982 |
| 1917 | 23,618 | — | #5 | #907 |
| 1916 | 23,244 | — | #5 | #853 |
| 1915 | 21,924 | — | #5 | #923 |
| 1914 | 15,885 | — | #5 | #787 |
| 1913 | 12,642 | — | #5 | #850 |
| 1912 | 11,323 | — | #5 | #647 |
| 1911 | 8,032 | — | #5 | #573 |
| 1910 | 7,247 | — | #5 | #469 |
| 1909 | 6,526 | — | #4 | #673 |
| 1908 | 6,200 | — | #4 | #578 |
| 1907 | 5,588 | — | #5 | #694 |
| 1906 | 5,159 | — | #5 | #542 |
| 1905 | 5,088 | — | #5 | #522 |
| 1904 | 4,915 | — | #5 | #609 |
| 1903 | 4,530 | — | #5 | #651 |
| 1902 | 4,401 | — | #5 | #533 |
| 1901 | 3,989 | — | #5 | #528 |
| 1900 | 4,781 | — | #5 | #645 |
| 1899 | 3,921 | — | #5 | #771 |
| 1898 | 4,264 | — | #5 | #566 |
| 1897 | 3,898 | — | #5 | #435 |
| 1896 | 3,917 | — | #5 | #667 |
| 1895 | 3,558 | — | #6 | #966 |
| 1894 | 3,387 | — | #6 | #535 |
| 1893 | 3,670 | — | #3 | #606 |
| 1892 | 3,302 | — | #5 | #632 |
| 1891 | 1,857 | — | #19 | — |
| 1890 | 1,200 | — | #46 | #1,133 |
| 1889 | 1,073 | — | #46 | — |
| 1888 | 850 | — | #59 | — |
| 1887 | 632 | — | #62 | #1,046 |
| 1886 | 581 | — | #66 | — |
| 1885 | 511 | — | #70 | #1,076 |
| 1884 | 442 | — | #74 | — |
| 1883 | 387 | — | #74 | — |
| 1882 | 323 | — | #80 | — |
| 1881 | 275 | — | #84 | — |
| 1880 | 234 | — | #93 | — |