Ruby
The female name derives from ruby in the 19th century.
Every Ruby since 1880 — 379,684 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ruby
Ruby is a top-100 name for girls in the United States, ranked #64 in 2025 with 3,554 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 379,684 American babies have been named Ruby. Its peak came in 1924, when 8,472 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ruby stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ruby year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,554 | #64 | 15 | #6,082 |
| 2024 | 3,533 | #62 | 18 | #5,401 |
| 2023 | 3,364 | #65 | 13 | #6,820 |
| 2022 | 3,621 | #62 | 19 | #5,180 |
| 2021 | 3,599 | #62 | 14 | #6,281 |
| 2020 | 3,342 | #74 | 10 | #7,948 |
| 2019 | 3,738 | #66 | 8 | #9,583 |
| 2018 | 3,591 | #74 | 6 | #11,871 |
| 2017 | 3,587 | #79 | 6 | #11,936 |
| 2016 | 3,847 | #71 | 8 | #9,504 |
| 2015 | 3,467 | #83 | — | — |
| 2014 | 3,430 | #90 | — | — |
| 2013 | 3,321 | #93 | 10 | #7,985 |
| 2012 | 2,918 | #105 | 7 | #10,540 |
| 2011 | 2,770 | #109 | 6 | #11,980 |
| 2010 | 2,798 | #113 | 5 | #13,862 |
| 2009 | 3,019 | #108 | 5 | #14,090 |
| 2008 | 3,021 | #113 | 5 | #14,206 |
| 2007 | 2,900 | #116 | 8 | #9,591 |
| 2006 | 2,582 | #137 | 11 | #7,325 |
| 2005 | 2,472 | #130 | — | — |
| 2004 | 2,120 | #158 | — | — |
| 2003 | 1,707 | #189 | 11 | #6,634 |
| 2002 | 1,579 | #208 | — | — |
| 2001 | 1,366 | #232 | 7 | #9,038 |
| 2000 | 1,266 | #258 | 7 | #8,950 |
| 1995 | 1,053 | #260 | 13 | #4,734 |
| 1990 | 954 | #291 | 21 | #3,041 |
| 1985 | 593 | #384 | 12 | #3,759 |
| 1980 | 659 | #357 | 11 | #3,801 |
| 1975 | 628 | #346 | 10 | #3,618 |
| 1970 | 694 | #358 | 9 | #3,475 |
| 1965 | 984 | #276 | 12 | #2,447 |
| 1960 | 1,386 | #229 | 15 | #2,190 |
| 1955 | 2,009 | #173 | 13 | #2,292 |
| 1950 | 2,414 | #130 | 21 | #1,648 |
| 1945 | 2,904 | #95 | 22 | #1,435 |
| 1940 | 3,619 | #66 | 46 | #948 |
| 1935 | 4,764 | #41 | 57 | #831 |
| 1930 | 5,993 | #36 | 62 | #831 |
| 1925 | 7,843 | #30 | 65 | #830 |
| 1920 | 8,336 | #26 | 76 | #762 |
| 1915 | 7,237 | #24 | 58 | #801 |
| 1910 | 2,893 | #27 | 23 | #616 |
| 1905 | 1,885 | #38 | 15 | #632 |
| 1900 | 1,540 | #51 | 22 | #511 |
| 1895 | 954 | #66 | 19 | #474 |
| 1890 | 540 | #81 | 5 | #1,132 |
| 1885 | 272 | #106 | 5 | #1,074 |
| 1880 | 92 | #149 | 6 | #891 |
Famous people named Ruby
- Ruby Dee Actor · 1922–2014
- Ruby Rose Actor · b. 1986
- Ruby Bridges Social activist · b. 1954
- Ruby Lin Actor · b. 1976
- Ruby Payne-Scott Astronomer · 1912–1981
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ruby mean?
The female name derives from ruby in the 19th century.
How popular is the name Ruby in 2025?
Ruby ranked #64 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 3,554 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ruby?
379,684 babies have been named Ruby in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ruby most popular?
Ruby peaked in 1924, when 8,472 newborns received the name.
Is Ruby a boy or girl name?
Ruby is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ruby rising or falling?
Ruby has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ruby?
Well-known people named Ruby include Ruby Dee (actor), Ruby Rose (actor), Ruby Bridges (social activist).