Given name & surname
Rue
“from the medicinal herb”
Rue is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “from the medicinal herb.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “from the medicinal herb.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1896. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rue through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,884
- 319 boys · 1,565 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 205 babies
- 2025
- 179
- #1,324 for girls · #8,119 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +287%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 169 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,324 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 275.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 10 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 819 as a first name in 2020; 4,579 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.
Rue’s family of names
Rue has a related form in Ruta. Rue has a related form in Rou. In English usage, Rue as a surname has a related form in Larue.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Rue
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rue, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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