Total births
836,122
Girls' name · since 1880
Ruth
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 836,122 babies named Ruth, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #171
- among girls today
- 836,122
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other girls
Ruth currently ranks #171 among girls' names in America, with 836,122 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Ruth recorded 836,122 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #171 nationally today, ahead of 99.0% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #171 among girls today
- 836,122 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 99.0% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ruth is currently the #171 girls' name in America, more common than 99.0% of girls - 836,122 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #171
- among girls today
- 836,122
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other girls
Ruth vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#171
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.0% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Ruth was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
26,102 babies were named Ruth in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Ruth compares
836,122 Top 0% higher than 100% of 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
Ruth's all-time total is 2,189x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ruth | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 836,122 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 26,102 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ruth's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ruth splits its recorded history at 1953: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (234 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 26,102 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ruth at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1920
Current rank
#171
Active since
1880
Ruth popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 26,102
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ruth popularity over time - boys
2,779 total births recorded since 1885 (Ruth as boys' name)
Ruth by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ruth's strongest decade.
218,520 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Ruth births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,298
1880s
5,298 births
- 1890s 32,867
1890s
32,867 births
- 1900s 51,010
1900s
51,010 births
- 1910s
1910s
173,675 births
- 1920s
1920s
218,520 births
- 1930s
1930s
109,204 births
- 1940s 85,666
1940s
85,666 births
- 1950s 62,538
1950s
62,538 births
- 1960s 34,189
1960s
34,189 births
- 1970s 13,431
1970s
13,431 births
- 1980s 11,204
1980s
11,204 births
- 1990s 8,730
1990s
8,730 births
- 2000s 9,187
2000s
9,187 births
- 2010s 10,857
2010s
10,857 births
- 2020s 9,746
2020s
9,746 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 218,520 births (26% of all-time use).
How Ruth compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ruth's total volume
Ruth vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ruth by state
Where Ruth concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 69,817 | 8.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 67,535 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 51,447 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 40,482 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 30,880 | 3.7% |
| #6 | California | | 30,171 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 29,017 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 25,960 | 3.1% |
Pennsylvania share of Ruth's total US births 8.4%
Even split
69,817 of 836,122 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ruth appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ruth? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 836,122 babies named Ruth. Today it holds rank #171 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 26,102 births.
When was Ruth most popular? ▼
Ruth was most popular in the 1920s decade with 218,520 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Ruth most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ruth are Pennsylvania (69,817 births), New York (67,535 births), Ohio (51,447 births).
How long has the name Ruth been used? ▼
Records for Ruth go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ruth? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ruthie, Ruthann, Rutha, Ruthanne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ruth's data
- Ruth's decade-level peak was the 1920s (218,520 total births); usage has since declined to 9,746 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Ruths (69,817 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- 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 Ruth
Nearby Names Like Ruth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ruth
Ruthie Girl
#878 22,624 births
Ruthann Girl
#4307 7,098 births
Rutha Girl
2,799 births
Ruthanne Girl
#6966 2,685 births
Ruthe Girl
1,949 births
Compare Ruth side by side: Ruth vs Ruthie Ruth vs Ruthann Ruth vs Rutha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ruth
Olive #170
66,926 births · Peak 2022
Isabelle #172
107,762 births · Peak 2007
Amaya #169
43,525 births · Peak 2018
Evangeline #173
36,771 births · Peak 2025
Peyton #168
88,219 births · Peak 2009
Ximena #174
39,656 births · Peak 2016
Isabel #167
132,150 births · Peak 2006
Katherine #175
650,926 births · Peak 1990
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ruth: #171 Girls' Name - 836,122 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ruth. 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 Ruth 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.