Ruthie
Ruthie was given to 349 girls in 2025, #781 among girls’ names; 22,656 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 11,900 Americans named Ruthie and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (52% of everyone recorded); the median is 66 years old and half are between 18 and 77.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Ruthie by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Ruthie mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Ruthie is “a diminutive of the female given name Ruth.”
From Ruth + -ie.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Ruthie?
#781 among girls’ names, 2025
Ruthie rose from #1,606 in 2015 to #781 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.08 to 0.22 per 1,000.
428 babies in 1927, the peak
Ruthie peaked in 1927, when 428 girls were given it, #326 among girls’ names. The 349 births of 2025 are 82% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 349 | #781 | 0.22 |
| 2024 | 307 | #883 | 0.19 |
| 2023 | 291 | #915 | 0.18 |
| 2022 | 260 | #1,008 | 0.16 |
| 2021 | 234 | #1,074 | 0.14 |
| 2020 | 182 | #1,254 | 0.11 |
| 2019 | 160 | #1,410 | 0.10 |
| 2018 | 166 | #1,364 | 0.10 |
| 2017 | 136 | #1,601 | 0.08 |
| 2016 | 137 | #1,610 | 0.08 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 134 | #1,606 | 0.08 |
| 2014 | 108 | #1,873 | 0.06 |
| 2013 | 114 | #1,806 | 0.06 |
| 2012 | 94 | #2,061 | 0.05 |
| 2011 | 89 | #2,154 | 0.05 |
| 2010 | 102 | #1,974 | 0.06 |
| 2009 | 98 | #2,087 | 0.05 |
| 2008 | 112 | #1,899 | 0.06 |
| 2007 | 73 | #2,564 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 92 | #2,123 | 0.05 |
| 2005 | 77 | #2,335 | 0.04 |
| 2004 | 80 | #2,223 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 57 | #2,762 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 58 | #2,664 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3,301 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 28 | #4,371 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 39 | #3,296 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 28 | #4,114 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 23 | #4,628 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 26 | #4,155 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 18 | #5,387 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 15 | #6,237 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 24 | #4,345 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 19 | #5,211 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 24 | #4,300 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 25 | #4,089 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 26 | #3,864 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 46 | #2,397 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 34 | #2,899 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 18 | #4,501 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 36 | #2,691 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 29 | #3,047 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 41 | #2,347 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 37 | #2,570 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 33 | #2,765 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 65 | #1,731 | 0.04 |
| 1979 | 57 | #1,869 | 0.04 |
| 1978 | 34 | #2,554 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 36 | #2,453 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 43 | #2,050 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 51 | #1,832 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 62 | #1,561 | 0.04 |
| 1973 | 57 | #1,617 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 73 | #1,377 | 0.05 |
| 1971 | 86 | #1,289 | 0.05 |
| 1970 | 91 | #1,235 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 84 | #1,225 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 94 | #1,108 | 0.06 |
| 1967 | 111 | #972 | 0.07 |
| 1966 | 120 | #926 | 0.07 |
| 1965 | 150 | #814 | 0.08 |
| 1964 | 191 | #754 | 0.10 |
| 1963 | 196 | #733 | 0.10 |
| 1962 | 211 | #712 | 0.11 |
| 1961 | 232 | #681 | 0.11 |
| 1960 | 271 | #608 | 0.13 |
| 1959 | 287 | #584 | 0.14 |
| 1958 | 285 | #589 | 0.14 |
| 1957 | 322 | #533 | 0.16 |
| 1956 | 327 | #519 | 0.16 |
| 1955 | 307 | #524 | 0.16 |
| 1954 | 331 | #483 | 0.17 |
| 1953 | 367 | #450 | 0.20 |
| 1952 | 378 | #441 | 0.20 |
| 1951 | 314 | #471 | 0.17 |
| 1950 | 377 | #411 | 0.22 |
| 1949 | 397 | #399 | 0.23 |
| 1948 | 400 | #399 | 0.24 |
| 1947 | 414 | #392 | 0.23 |
| 1946 | 422 | #367 | 0.27 |
| 1945 | 376 | #360 | 0.29 |
| 1944 | 394 | #346 | 0.30 |
| 1943 | 374 | #370 | 0.27 |
| 1942 | 410 | #345 | 0.30 |
| 1941 | 357 | #347 | 0.30 |
| 1940 | 401 | #317 | 0.35 |
| 1939 | 389 | #315 | 0.35 |
| 1938 | 388 | #317 | 0.35 |
| 1937 | 377 | #319 | 0.35 |
| 1936 | 370 | #319 | 0.36 |
| 1935 | 396 | #314 | 0.38 |
| 1934 | 377 | #322 | 0.36 |
| 1933 | 367 | #328 | 0.36 |
| 1932 | 365 | #333 | 0.34 |
| 1931 | 359 | #337 | 0.34 |
| 1930 | 397 | #330 | 0.35 |
| 1929 | 381 | #331 | 0.34 |
| 1928 | 385 | #345 | 0.33 |
| 1927 | 428 | #326 | 0.36 |
| 1926 | 411 | #326 | 0.35 |
| 1925 | 381 | #346 | 0.31 |
| 1924 | 374 | #356 | 0.30 |
| 1923 | 321 | #371 | 0.27 |
| 1922 | 250 | #418 | 0.21 |
| 1921 | 244 | #440 | 0.20 |
| 1920 | 233 | #442 | 0.19 |
| 1919 | 191 | #483 | 0.17 |
| 1918 | 177 | #522 | 0.15 |
| 1917 | 148 | #556 | 0.14 |
| 1916 | 146 | #556 | 0.14 |
| 1915 | 121 | #592 | 0.12 |
| 1914 | 107 | #546 | 0.14 |
| 1913 | 96 | #520 | 0.15 |
| 1912 | 89 | #514 | 0.16 |
| 1911 | 63 | #528 | 0.15 |
| 1910 | 59 | #535 | 0.15 |
| 1909 | 38 | #641 | 0.11 |
| 1908 | 47 | #545 | 0.14 |
| 1907 | 39 | #598 | 0.12 |
| 1906 | 42 | #548 | 0.14 |
| 1905 | 31 | #639 | 0.11 |
| 1904 | 25 | #708 | 0.09 |
| 1903 | 27 | #652 | 0.10 |
| 1902 | 22 | #752 | 0.08 |
| 1901 | 26 | #627 | 0.11 |
| 1900 | 21 | #827 | 0.07 |
| 1899 | 18 | #785 | 0.08 |
| 1898 | 22 | #712 | 0.09 |
| 1897 | 22 | #674 | 0.09 |
| 1896 | 24 | #648 | 0.10 |
| 1895 | 27 | #592 | 0.12 |
| 1894 | 15 | #809 | 0.07 |
| 1893 | 17 | #735 | 0.08 |
| 1892 | 12 | #900 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 11 | #884 | 0.06 |
| 1890 | 6 | #1,318 | 0.03 |
| 1889 | 12 | #792 | 0.07 |
| 1888 | 10 | #883 | 0.06 |
| 1887 | 9 | #845 | 0.06 |
| 1885 | 7 | #911 | 0.05 |
| 1884 | 5 | #1,152 | 0.04 |
| 1883 | 6 | #910 | 0.05 |
| 1882 | 6 | #886 | 0.06 |
| 1881 | 6 | #809 | 0.07 |
| 1880 | 5 | #925 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Ruthie a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Ruthie has been given almost only to girls: 32 boys in 145 years of records.
Girls and boys named Ruthie: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Ruthie, and how old are they?
11,900 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 52% of the 22,656 Americans ever recorded as Ruthie. The median Ruthie alive today is 66 years old; half are between 18 and 77.
The 2020 Census counted 9,841 people named Ruthie (9,827 women and girls, 14 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 12,219 born in the U.S. The Census count is 19% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 2,040 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 4,570 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,120 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 438 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,080 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,560 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Ruthie born?
The states with the most babies named Ruthie are Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas, with 38% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Mississippi and Arkansas are not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 2,590 | #380 | 6.5× |
| Texas | 2,430 | #1,451 | 1.7× |
| Arkansas | 1,771 | #421 | 5.3× |
| Alabama | 1,530 | #388 | 2.8× |
| Georgia | 1,337 | #399 | 2.0× |
| Louisiana | 1,323 | #761 | 2.9× |
| Tennessee | 1,014 | #280 | 1.8× |
| South Carolina | 717 | #757 | 1.7× |
| Florida | 680 | #1,845 | 1.2× |
| California | 602 | #2,245 | 0.4× |
Where Ruthie is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Ruthie is most over-represented in Mississippi: since 1910 it was given 6.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Ruthie with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 5 names spelled alike, given to 28,450 babies since 1880, Ruthie is the most given (80% of them). In 2025 it was given to 349 of their 357 babies (98%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Ruthie
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Ruthie and names like it
- Compare Ruthie and RuthaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sRuthie peaked in 1927.
- Mississippi’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Ruthie since 1910.
- The top names of 1927The year the most babies were named Ruthie.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Ruthie alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with RMost given first.