How old is someone named Ruth?
The average Ruth is 62 years old.
Half of all living Ruths are between 50 and 80.
When was Ruth popular?
Parents have been choosing Ruth less often since its peak in 1920; 1,781 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1920 · The most popular names of the 1920s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 51,177 | 0 |
| 1910s | 174,122 | under 100 |
| 1920s | 219,217 | 3,400 |
| 1930s | 109,764 | 22,000 |
| 1940s | 85,966 | 48,000 |
| 1950s | 62,668 | 49,000 |
| 1960s | 34,328 | 30,000 |
| 1970s | 13,516 | 13,000 |
| 1980s | 11,312 | 11,000 |
| 1990s | 8,754 | 8,600 |
| 2000s | 9,192 | 9,100 |
| 2010s | 10,857 | 11,000 |
| 2020s | 9,746 | 9,700 |
How many Ruths are still alive?
About 210,000 Ruths are alive in the US today. That's 25% of the roughly 840,000 babies named Ruth since 1880.
Most Ruths ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1920, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Ruth?
About two in five living Ruths are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Ruth an old name?
Yes. Ruth is older than 92 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Ruth will be 42 in 2056, so its average age will actually fall, as the youngest Ruths make up more of the total.
Is Ruth a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely girls: 99.7% of living Ruths are women.
Names the same age as Ruth
NAME TWIN
Ruth's name twin is Ida. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Ida's age curve is the closest match to Ruth's: 94% alike.
Think you can guess a Linda's age?
Ten names, one slider each. Share your score.
Questions about the name Ruth
How old is the average Ruth?
The average Ruth in the US is 62 years old. The median is 70, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Ruth?
About 210,000 Ruths are alive in the US today, out of roughly 840,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Ruth most popular?
In 1920, when about 26,000 baby girls were named Ruth.
Is Ruth a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 42% of living Ruths, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this