Given name & surname
Ruby
“as precious as the red gemstone”
Ruby is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “as precious as the red gemstone.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “as precious as the red gemstone.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Ruby is a variant of Reuben. The history of Reuben gives this family its wider story. Reuben appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Ruby through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 379,684
- 3,114 boys · 376,570 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 8,472 babies
- 2025
- 3,569
- #64 for girls · #6,082 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −2%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,554 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 64 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 2.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8,406 in 1924. It also appeared in 15 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (360). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 140,132 as a first name in 2020; 8,747 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ruby’s family of names
Ruby has a short form in Rube. Ruby has a related form in Reuben. Ruby has a related form in Rubi.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ruby
- Ruby RoseAustralian actor, model, DJ, and recording artist (born 1986)
- Ruby DeeAmerican actress (1922–2014)
- Ruby LinTaiwanese actress, singer and producerborn 1976
- Ruby Payne-ScottAustralian radio astronomer (1912-1981)
- Ruby BridgesAmerican civil rights activistborn 1954
- Nanette FabrayAmerican actress, singer and dancer (1920-2018)
- Ruby KeelerAmerican actress, dancer, and singer (1910-1993)1909–1993
- Ruby MyersIndian actress (1907–1983)
- Ruby O. FeeGerman actressborn 1996
Characters named Ruby: Ruby Sunday (the British science fiction television series Doctor Who).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ruby, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Evelyn
“a birdlike woman” · “a birdlike man”
>99% girls
Beryl
“resembling the pale-green precious stone” · “little bear”
>99% girls
Pansy
“as delicate as a flower; a thoughtful girl”
>99% girls
Verna
“woman from Verona” · “from the alder-tree grove”
>99% girls
Mavis
“resembling a songbird” · “resembling a small bird”
>99% girls
Hazel
“from the hazel tree”
>99% girls
Marjorie
Marjorie is used as a form of Margaret.
>99% girls
Edith
Edith is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “the spoils of war; one who is joyous; a treasure.”
>99% girls