| Ruth | |
|---|---|
The Biblical Naomi entreating her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah in this image by William Blake based on the Book of Ruth. |
|
| Pronunciation | /ˈruːθ/ rooth |
| Gender | female |
| Origin | |
| Word/Name | Hebrew |
| Meaning | "companion" |
Ruth (Hebrew: רות rut, IPA: [ˈʁut]) is a common female given name, from Ruth the Moabite in the Book of Ruth, possibly from the Hebrew for "companion." In Israel, "Ruti" is a common nickname for Rut (Ruth) in the same way Bill is for William in English.[1] In the Biblical story, Ruth tells her mother-in-law, Naomi, "Whither thou goest, I will go."
Ruth ranked in the top 100 most popular names for baby girls in Ireland and Northern Ireland in the past decade. It was the 347th most popular name for baby girls in the United States in 2007 and was ranked as the 19th most common name for women and girls in the United States in the 1890 census. It was most popular there in the early 20th century, when it was among the top 10 most popular names for girls in the United States.[2]