Total births
1,949
Girls' name · since 1898
Ruthe
1,949 babies named Ruthe in U.S. Social Security records since 1898, with the highest year being 1924. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,949
- total births
- 1898–1973
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 45%
- born in that decade
Ruthe is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,949 have been recorded since 1898.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ruthe has been recorded 1,949 times among girls since 1898, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 1973.
- 1,949 total births
- 1898–1973 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 45% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,949 girls have been named Ruthe since 1898, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1973.
- 1,949
- total births
- 1898–1973
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 45%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Ruthe was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
122 babies were named Ruthe in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
Ruthe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ruthe's full recorded timeline at 1932, 26% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 74% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1899, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1924 peak of 122 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ruthe at a glance
Last recorded 1973Peak year
1924
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1898
Ruthe popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–1973
- Peak year (1924)
- 122
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Ruthe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ruthe's strongest decade.
877 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Ruthe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 12
1890s
12 births
- 1900s 65
1900s
65 births
- 1910s
1910s
412 births
- 1920s
1920s
877 births
- 1930s 284
1930s
284 births
- 1940s 163
1940s
163 births
- 1950s 92
1950s
92 births
- 1960s 32
1960s
32 births
- 1970s 12
1970s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 877 births (45% of all-time use).
How Ruthe 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 Ruthe's total volume
Ruthe vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ruthe by state
Where Ruthe concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 127 | 6.5% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 127 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 89 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 44 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 39 | 2.0% |
| #6 | California | | 32 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 26 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 16 | 0.8% |
New York share of Ruthe's total US births 6.5%
Even split
127 of 1,949 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Ruthe appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ruthe? ▼
Ruthe has been given to 1,949 babies in the U.S. since 1898, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1973. 122 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Ruthe most popular? ▼
Ruthe was most popular in the 1920s decade with 877 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Ruthe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ruthe are New York (127 births), Pennsylvania (127 births), Illinois (89 births).
How long has the name Ruthe been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ruthe since 1898 -- 76 years through the most recent 1973 data.
What names are similar to Ruthe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ruth, Ruthie, Ruthann, Rutha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ruthe's data
- Ruthe's decade-level peak was the 1920s (877 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ruthes (127 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Ruthe
Nearby Names Like Ruthe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ruthe
Ruth Girl
#171 836,122 births
Ruthie Girl
#878 22,624 births
Ruthann Girl
#4307 7,098 births
Rutha Girl
2,799 births
Ruthanne Girl
#6966 2,685 births
Compare Ruthe side by side: Ruthe vs Ruth Ruthe vs Ruthie Ruthe vs Ruthann
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1898–1973 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ruthe: Baby Name Since 1898 - 1,949 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ruthe. 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 Ruthe 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.