Ruhee
A feminine name of Hindi origin meaning "beautiful soul".
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the first name Ruhee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ruhee today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ruhee births was 2018 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ruhee. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ruhee with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
111
~ 1 in 3,087,877 Americans
Peak year
2018
15 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,205
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Ruhee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ruhee 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 62 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ruhee remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ruhee 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 Ruhee 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 Ruhee
The name Ruhee is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, where it is a variation of the name Ruhi, which means "spiritual" or "soulful." This name gained popularity in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions with significant Persian cultural influence, such as Northern India and parts of Pakistan.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ruhee can be traced back to the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire in India. It was a popular name among the nobility and upper classes, who were deeply influenced by Persian culture and literature. The name Ruhee is often associated with grace, beauty, and a deep connection to the spiritual realm.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Ruhee was Princess Ruhee Begum, a member of the Mughal royal family in the late 16th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for poets and scholars during her lifetime.
Another notable figure was Ruhee Bano, a celebrated courtesan and poet who lived in the 17th century in the city of Lucknow, which was a cultural hub during the Mughal era. Her poetry and writings were widely admired and contributed to the rich literary tradition of the region.
In the 19th century, Ruhee Jehan Begum was a prominent member of the Nawab family of Bahawalpur, a princely state in present-day Pakistan. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for women's education and empowerment.
Moving into the 20th century, Ruhee Jahan was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who played a significant role in reviving and promoting the Kathak dance form. She was born in 1913 and was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, for her contributions to the arts.
Another notable figure was Ruhee Kapoor, an Indian actress and dancer who appeared in several Bollywood films in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in 1932, she was known for her graceful performances and her ability to portray diverse characters on screen.
While the name Ruhee has its roots in Persian and Indian cultural traditions, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among families with connections to South Asia or an appreciation for its beautiful meaning and historical significance.
People
Ruhee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ruhee 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
Ruhee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ruhee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 111 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ruhee 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 3,087,877 US residents.
Is Ruhee a common name?
We classify Ruhee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ruhee most popular?
The single biggest year for Ruhee was 2018, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ruhee is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ruhee in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ruhee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ruhee 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.
Is Ruhee still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ruhee in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ruhee can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Ruhee?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Ruhee, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.