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.
- #4,781 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,949
- born since 1898
- 1920s
- peak 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.
- #4,781 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,949 born since 1898
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ruthe ranks #4,781 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,949 born since 1898, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,781 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,949
- born since 1898
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ruthe's 1,949 recorded births place it above 93.39% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
16 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
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 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
1920s is the heaviest window (877 births, 45% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Ruthe sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ruthe most popular? ▼
Where is Ruthe most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ruthe been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ruthe? ▼
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
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
Compare Ruthe side by side: Ruthe vs Ruth Ruthe vs Ruthie Ruthe vs Ruthann
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ruthe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1924)
Similar record span (~75 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.