Ruari
A masculine Scottish name derived from the Gaelic 'Ruairidh', meaning "red king".
Name Census estimates that about 248 living Americans carry the first name Ruari. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 53.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Ruari today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ruari births was 2016 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ruari. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
248
~ 1 in 1,382,074 Americans
Peak year
2016
25 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,311
Tracked since 2003
Gender
Gender distribution for Ruari
Ruari is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 250 total registrations, 117 (46.8%) were male and 133 (53.2%) were female.
Ruari as a male name
- Ranked #13,803 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (14 births)
Ruari as a female name
- Ranked #13,311 in 2022
- 7 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2016 (16 births)
Popularity
Ruari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ruari from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 150 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ruari by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ruari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ruari
The given name Ruari is of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Old Irish Ruaidhrí, which is composed of the elements "ruadh" meaning red, and "rí" meaning king. This name can be traced back to the 6th century, when it was prevalent among the ancient Celtic cultures of Ireland and Scotland.
Ruari was a popular name among the Scottish Highland clans, particularly in the Western Isles and the Hebrides. It was often associated with the influential Clan Macleod, who held significant power in the region during the medieval period. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 11th century, when a chieftain named Ruari Macleod was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster.
In Irish mythology, Ruari was the name of a legendary warrior and hero, known for his bravery and valor in battle. He was often depicted as a fierce protector of his people, and his exploits were chronicled in numerous ancient tales and bardic poems.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Ruari was Ruari Macleod (c. 1570-1626), a Scottish clan chief and warrior who played a pivotal role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was known for his unwavering loyalty to the Royalist cause and his fierce resistance against the Covenanters.
Another prominent Ruari was Ruari Og Macleod (c. 1590-1674), a Scottish poet and chief of the Clan Macleod. He was renowned for his poetic talents and his efforts to preserve the Gaelic language and culture during a time of significant upheaval in Scotland.
In the 18th century, Ruari Arascain Macleod (c. 1700-1783) was a celebrated Scottish bard and folklorist, known for his extensive collection of traditional Gaelic songs and stories. His work played a crucial role in preserving the rich oral traditions of the Scottish Highlands.
Ruari Mòr Macleod (c. 1670-1738), also known as Ruari the Great, was a prominent Scottish clan chief and military leader who fought alongside the Jacobites during the 1715 and 1719 uprisings against the House of Hanover. He was widely respected for his courage and leadership on the battlefield.
Finally, Ruari Halford-MacLeod (1836-1907) was a Scottish historian and genealogist who dedicated his life to researching and documenting the histories of various Scottish clans, including his own Clan Macleod. His works remain invaluable resources for understanding the complex lineages and traditions of the Scottish Highlands.
People
Ruari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ruari as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ruari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ruari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 248 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ruari going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,382,074 US residents.
Is Ruari a common name?
We classify Ruari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 250 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ruari most popular?
The single biggest year for Ruari was 2016, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ruari is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ruari a female name?
Yes, 53.2% of people registered as Ruari in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.