Ruby
A gemstone name, from Latin ruber, 'red', by way of the Latin phrase for a red stone. English speakers began using it as a given name alongside Pearl and Opal.
Ruby in 2025
Ruby was given to 3,569 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 170th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 929 babies born.
The history of Ruby
Ruby reached its highest point in 1924, when 8,472 babies were given the name, ranking 51st that year. Its best-ever ranking was 32nd, in 1911.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 379,684 babies have been named Ruby. Half of them were born before 1933, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Ruby by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ruby | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,645 | 112 |
| 1890s | 8,819 | 72 |
| 1900s | 18,353 | 37 |
| 1910s | 60,812 | 32 |
| 1920s | 77,390 | 49 |
| 1930s | 48,171 | 68 |
| 1940s | 32,140 | 127 |
| 1950s | 20,703 | 252 |
| 1960s | 10,277 | 432 |
| 1970s | 6,519 | 618 |
| 1980s | 6,451 | 626 |
| 1990s | 10,693 | 501 |
| 2000s | 22,086 | 245 |
| 2010s | 33,523 | 173 |
| 2020s | 21,102 | 167 |
Where Ruby is heading
Ruby has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 3,467 babies in 2015 to 3,569 in 2025.
Names like Ruby
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ruby.