Total births
36
Girls' name · since 1918
Ruthelma
Ruthelma has 36 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 36
- total births
- 1918–1936
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 67%
- born in that decade
Ruthelma sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 36 recorded since 1918.
Ruthelma has 36 recorded births among girls since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 1936.
- 36 total births
- 1918–1936 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 67% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
36 girls have been named Ruthelma since 1918, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1936.
- 36
- total births
- 1918–1936
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 67%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
67% of everyone ever named Ruthelma was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
8 babies were named Ruthelma in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
Ruthelma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ruthelma's SSA record in two at 1926 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1925, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1926 peak of 8, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ruthelma at a glance
Last recorded 1936Peak year
1926
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1918
Ruthelma popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–1936
- Peak year (1926)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 19 years of records
Ruthelma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ruthelma's strongest decade.
24 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 67% of all-time use.
Ruthelma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1920s
1920s
24 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 24 births (67% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ruthelma? ▼
Ruthelma has been given to 36 babies in the U.S. since 1918, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1936. 8 babies were born in 1926, its single highest year.
When was Ruthelma most popular? ▼
Ruthelma was most popular in the 1920s decade with 24 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
How long has the name Ruthelma been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ruthelma since 1918 -- 19 years through the most recent 1936 data.
What names are similar to Ruthelma? ▼
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 Ruthelma's data
- Ruthelma's decade-level peak was the 1920s (24 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1930s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Ruthelma
Nearby Names Like Ruthelma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ruthelma
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 Ruthelma side by side: Ruthelma vs Ruth Ruthelma vs Ruthie Ruthelma 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, 1918–1936 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ruthelma: Baby Name Since 1918 - 36 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ruthelma. 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 Ruthelma 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.