Total births
72
Girls' name · since 1997
Ruqaiyah
72 babies named Ruqaiyah in U.S. Social Security records since 1997, with the highest year being 2003. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #16163
- among girls today
- 72
- born since 1997
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 9%
- more common than other girls
Ruqaiyah currently ranks #16163 among girls' names in America, with 72 babies recorded since 1997.
Social Security Administration records show Ruqaiyah recorded 72 times among girls since 1997, holding rank #16163 nationally today, ahead of 9% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1997 to 2025.
- #16163 among girls today
- 72 born since 1997
- 2000s peak decade
- 9% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ruqaiyah is currently the #16163 girls' name in America, more common than 9% of girls - 72 born since 1997, peaking in the 2000s.
- #16163
- among girls today
- 72
- born since 1997
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 9%
- more common than other girls
Ruqaiyah vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#16163
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 9% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Ruqaiyah was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
9 babies were named Ruqaiyah in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Ruqaiyah compares
72 19th percentile among 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ruqaiyah's all-time total is 81% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ruqaiyah | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 72 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 9 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ruqaiyah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ruqaiyah's SSA record in two at 2013 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1997, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2003 peak of 9, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ruqaiyah at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#16,163
Active since
1997
Ruqaiyah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1997–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 9
- Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
Ruqaiyah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Ruqaiyah's strongest decade.
29 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Ruqaiyah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
29 births
- 2010s
2010s
28 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 29 births (40% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ruqaiyah? ▼
Since 1997, Social Security records show 72 babies named Ruqaiyah. Today it holds rank #16163 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2003, with 9 births.
When was Ruqaiyah most popular? ▼
Ruqaiyah was most popular in the 2000s decade with 29 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
How long has the name Ruqaiyah been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ruqaiyah since 1997 -- 29 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ruqaiyah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ruqayyah, Ruqayya, Ruqaya, Ruqiya, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ruqaiyah's data
- Ruqaiyah's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (29 total births) through the 2020s (10) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ruqaiyah
Nearby Names Like Ruqaiyah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ruqaiyah
Ruqayyah Girl
#5202 552 births
Ruqayya Girl
#5542 194 births
Ruqaya Girl
#10049 159 births
Ruqiya Girl
71 births
Ruqayah Girl
51 births
Compare Ruqaiyah side by side: Ruqaiyah vs Ruqayyah Ruqaiyah vs Ruqayya Ruqaiyah vs Ruqaya
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ruqaiyah
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1997–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ruqaiyah: #16163 Girls' Name - 72 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ruqaiyah. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ruqaiyah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.