Ruthe
Of biblical origin, meaning "friend" or "vision of beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 231 living Americans carry the first name Ruthe. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ruthe today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ruthe births was 1924 (122 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ruthe. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ruthe is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ruthes were born before 1957.
People living today
231
~ 1 in 1,483,785 Americans
Peak year
1924
122 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1973 SSA rank
#9,454
Tracked since 1898
Popularity
Ruthe: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ruthe from the 1890s through to the 1970s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 877 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ruthe 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 Ruthe during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ruthes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois recorded the most babies named Ruthe, while Texas, Nebraska, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ruthe
The name Ruthe is a feminine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German name Ruth or Rut. Its roots can be traced back to the Old High German word "rūd" or "hrud," meaning "fame" or "glory."
In the Bible, the name Ruth is associated with the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of a Moabite woman who remained loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi and later married Boaz. This biblical character is revered for her devotion and virtue, and her name has become a symbol of steadfastness and fidelity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ruthe can be found in medieval German records, where it was a variant spelling of Ruth. During the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity among German-speaking communities, particularly in regions like Bavaria and Saxony.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ruthe. One example is Ruthe Winsten-Wilton (1891-1970), an American stage actress and playwright known for her work on Broadway in the early 20th century. Another prominent figure is Ruthe Stein (1901-1980), an American film critic and journalist who worked for the San Francisco Chronicle for over four decades.
In the realm of literature, Ruthe Thompson Culbertson (1910-1997) was an American author and illustrator of children's books, best known for her book "The Biggest Bear." Ruthe Matilda Winsten (1911-2005) was an American author and journalist who wrote extensively on education and social issues.
Ruthe Blomquist (1912-1997) was a Swedish businesswoman and entrepreneur who founded the successful children's clothing company Polarn O. Pyret. Her innovative designs and focus on sustainability made her a pioneer in the children's fashion industry.
It is worth noting that while the name Ruthe has historical roots and has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries, it has become less common in modern times, often overshadowed by the more traditional spelling of Ruth.
People
Ruthe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ruthe 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
Ruthe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ruthe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 231 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ruthe 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 1,483,785 US residents.
Is Ruthe a common name?
We classify Ruthe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,949 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ruthe most popular?
The single biggest year for Ruthe was 1924, when 122 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ruthe is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ruthe a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ruthe 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.