How to say it
RU · by
/ˈru.bi/
Feminine
Ruby
Red gemstone
What it means
From the Latin rubeus ('red'), via the gemstone. One of the late-Victorian gem names (Ruby, Pearl, Opal) that came back hard in the 2000s.
Ruby is straight from the gemstone, which takes its name from the Latin rubeus ('red'). Like Pearl and Opal, it caught on as a girl's name in the late 19th century when gem and flower names were having their moment. Ruby Bridges, who at six years old desegregated a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, gave the name a civil-rights anchor in living memory. It crashed in the mid-20th century, returned with the broader vintage revival, and has been in the US top 100 since 2013. Rarely shortens.
Popularity over time
peaked at #22 in 1911, currently #64 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Ruby Bridges, who at six years old desegregated a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, is the strongest historical association. The Norman Rockwell painting of her walk to school is the indelible image.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Ruby Bridges First Black child to integrate an all-white New Orleans elementary school
- Ruby Dee Actress and civil-rights activist, A Raisin in the Sun
- Jack Ruby Nightclub owner who shot Lee Harvey Oswald (Ruby as surname)
Spelling variants
- Rubi
- Rubina
Names with the same feeling
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