How to say it
RUTH
ruːθ
Feminine
Ruth
Friend, companion
What it means
Hebrew Rut, traditionally 'friend' or 'companion.' The Moabite woman who said 'whither thou goest, I will go' to her mother-in-law Naomi; her story is one of the Bible's central narratives of loyalty across difference.
Ruth comes from the Hebrew Rut, traditionally read as 'friend' or 'companion.' The Book of Ruth is one of two Old Testament books named for a woman; Ruth was a Moabite (non-Israelite) who chose to follow her widowed Israelite mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem, leading to her great-grandson King David. The story is read every year at the Jewish feast of Shavuot. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (the second woman on the US Supreme Court, 1933-2020) gave the name decisive 21st-century anchor. The English Ruth peaked in the early 20th century and has been climbing again since 2010 with the broader Old Testament revival.
How to spell Ruth
The standard spelling is Ruth. Common variants include Rut, Ruthie, but Ruth is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #3 in 1893, currently #173 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) is the dominant modern English-language anchor; the biblical Ruth is the older and deeper reference.
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.
- Ruth (Bible) Moabite woman, great-grandmother of King David; her story is the Book of Ruth
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg US Supreme Court Justice 1993-2020, women's-rights advocate
- Babe Ruth American baseball player George Herman Ruth, 1895-1948 (Ruth as surname)
Spelling variants
- Rut
- Ruthie
Names with the same feeling
See Ruth from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Ruth mean?
- Hebrew Rut, traditionally 'friend' or 'companion.' The Moabite woman who said 'whither thou goest, I will go' to her mother-in-law Naomi; her story is one of the Bible's central narratives of loyalty across difference.
- What does Ruth mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Ruth means "Friend, companion." Ruth comes from the Hebrew Rut, traditionally read as 'friend' or 'companion.' The Book of Ruth is one of two Old Testament books named for a woman; Ruth was a Moabite (non-Israelite) who chose to follow her widowed Israelite mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem, leading to her great-grandson King David. The story is read every year at the Jewish feast of Shavuot. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (the second woman on the US Supreme Court, 1933-2020) gave the name decisive 21st-century anchor. The English Ruth peaked in the early 20th century and has been climbing again since 2010 with the broader Old Testament revival.
- How do you pronounce Ruth?
- Ruth is pronounced ruːθ. Say it as RUTH, with the stress on the "ruth" syllable.
- How do you spell Ruth?
- The standard spelling is Ruth. Common spelling variants include Rut, Ruthie.
- Is Ruth a boy or girl name?
- Ruth is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Ruth?
- Ruth ranked #173 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.