girl's name
Ruby
ROO-bee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 459,753
the United States
#64
2025 births
Ruby is a girl's name of Latin origin naming the red gemstone, from ruber, meaning red. It belongs to the Victorian fashion for jewel names alongside Pearl, Opal and Beryl, and is the traditional stone for a fortieth wedding anniversary.
- Ruby is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 8,472 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 929 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ruby over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,645 |
| 1890s | 8,819 |
| 1900s | 18,353 |
| 1910s | 60,812 |
| 1920s | 77,390 |
| 1930s | 48,171 |
| 1940s | 32,140 |
| 1950s | 20,703 |
| 1960s | 10,277 |
| 1970s | 6,519 |
| 1980s | 6,451 |
| 1990s | 10,693 |
| 2000s | 22,086 |
| 2010s | 33,523 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 21,102 |
What Ruby means
Ruby names the deep red gemstone, from the Latin ruber, red. The stone is a variety of corundum, and its color comes from traces of chromium — the same element that makes emeralds green in a different mineral.
Where Ruby comes from
Ruby comes through Old French from the medieval Latin rubinus, from ruber, meaning red. The stone was valued across the ancient and medieval world and was long thought to protect its wearer from harm; Burmese warriors were reported to embed rubies in their skin for that reason. As a given name Ruby belongs to the Victorian and Edwardian fashion for gemstone names, which produced Pearl, Opal, Beryl, Jade and Amber in the same period. It faded through the middle of the twentieth century and returned sharply from the 1990s, part of the broader revival of names that felt distinctly of the 1900s.
Ruby in use
A ruby and a sapphire are the same mineral, corundum — only the trace element differs.
How popular is Ruby?
In 2025, Ruby was given to 3,569 babies in the United States, ranking #64 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Ruby is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ruby
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ruby also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ruby over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ruby
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ruby in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ruby
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ruby — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ruby
What does the name Ruby mean?
Ruby names the red gemstone, from the Latin ruber, meaning red.
Is Ruby a Victorian name?
Yes. It belongs to the Victorian fashion for jewel names alongside Pearl, Opal and Beryl.
What is a ruby made of?
Corundum, colored red by traces of chromium — the same mineral as sapphire.
How popular is the name Ruby?
In 2025, Ruby was given to 3,569 babies in the United States, ranking #64 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Ruby a girl's or a boy's name?
Ruby is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ruby?
Ruby has 2 syllables.
When was Ruby most popular?
Ruby peaked in 1924, when 8,472 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Ruby?
Ruby is usually shortened to Rue.
Is Ruby a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ruby currently ranks #34 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.