Ruthetta
A feminine name derived from Ruth, meaning "friend" or "companion".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Ruthetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ruthetta today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ruthetta births was 1927 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ruthetta. 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 Ruthetta is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ruthettas were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ruthetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1927
9 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1946 SSA rank
#5,570
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Ruthetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ruthetta from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 34 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Ruthetta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ruthetta 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 Ruthetta 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 Ruthetta
The name Ruthetta is an English feminine given name derived from the Germanic root "rad" or "hrod," meaning fame or renown, and the suffix "-etta," a diminutive form. It is a variation of the more common name Ruth, which has biblical origins from the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.
In ancient times, the name Ruthetta was likely used as a diminutive form of Ruth, conveying a sense of endearment or familiarity. Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the late Middle Ages in England, where it was occasionally given to baby girls born into noble or wealthy families.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Ruthetta was Ruthetta de Montfort, born in 1285, the daughter of a minor English nobleman. Though not a figure of great historical significance, her name serves as an early example of the use of this variation.
In the 16th century, Ruthetta Wentworth (1523-1592) was a notable English noblewoman who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Her name and position at court suggest the continued use of Ruthetta among the upper echelons of English society during the Tudor period.
Moving into the 17th century, Ruthetta Mercer (1635-1709) was a prominent Quaker author and preacher from Pennsylvania, known for her religious writings and her advocacy for women's roles in the Society of Friends. Her use of the name Ruthetta reflects its adoption by Puritan and dissenting Protestant communities in the American colonies.
In the late 19th century, Ruthetta Hazelwood (1867-1942) was an American educator and suffragist from Missouri. As an active participant in the women's suffrage movement, her choice of the name Ruthetta may have been influenced by its connotations of strength and determination.
Another notable bearer of the name was Ruthetta Strickland (1914-1998), a Canadian artist and writer known for her vibrant paintings and children's books. Her use of the uncommon name Ruthetta likely reflected a desire to stand out and embrace her unique identity as a creative individual.
While not as widespread as its root name Ruth, Ruthetta has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly among certain cultural and religious communities. Its enduring use, though relatively rare, reflects a tradition of bestowing meaningful and distinctive names upon children.
People
Ruthetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ruthetta 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
Ruthetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ruthetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ruthetta 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Ruthetta a common name?
We classify Ruthetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 83 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ruthetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Ruthetta was 1927, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ruthetta is about 86 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ruthetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ruthetta 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.