How Many People Are Named Ruthy?

An estimated 532 people in the United States have the first name Ruthy. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 48 years old, and Ruthy peaked in popularity in 1958 with 29 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ruthy as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ruthy paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

532

About 1 in 644,275 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

100.0% confidence

Average Age

48

years old

Peak Year

1958

29 births

Total Registered

916

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Ruthy

Ruthy is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 916 total births registered, 100.0% were female.

Male 0 (0.0%)
Female 916 (100.0%)

Ruthy as a female name

Ranked #10,897 in 2024

9 female births in 2024

Peak: 1958 (29 births)

Ruthy in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 710 people with the first name Ruthy, which placed it at #16,017 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Ruthy was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 710 people with this name in that snapshot, 2.0% were male and 98.0% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.

Census Count

710

people with this name

Census Rank

#16,017

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.24

per 100,000 people

Male 14 (2.0%)
Female 696 (98.0%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Ruthy was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (43.49%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (25.75%) and Black (19.46%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ruthy in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
43.49%
Black
19.46%
Hispanic
25.75%
Asian/Pacific Islander
7.73%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.86%
Two or More Races
2.72%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ruthy.

Group Share Count
White 43.49% 304
Hispanic 25.75% 180
Black 19.46% 136
Asian and Pacific Islander 7.73% 54
Two or More Races 2.72% 19
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86% 6

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Ruthy: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Ruthy span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 172 babies were registered. Ruthy has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

0 6 12 17 23 29 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ruthy by Decade

How has Ruthy tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1910s 43 0 43
1920s 118 0 118
1930s 108 0 108
1940s 103 0 103
1950s 172 0 172
1960s 104 0 104
1970s 39 0 39
1980s 39 0 39
1990s 20 0 20
2000s 58 0 58
2010s 61 0 61
2020s 51 0 51

Ruthy by State

Birth registrations for Ruthy span all 4 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Texas, New Jersey. The lowest are in California, New Jersey, Texas. On average, about 10 Ruthys were registered per state.

Ruthy + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Ruthy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Ruthy: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Ruthy?

We estimate approximately 532 people named Ruthy are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 644,275 Americans share this first name.

Is Ruthy a common name?

Ruthy is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 85.1% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 916 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Ruthy most popular?

Ruthy reached peak popularity in 1958, when 29 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ruthy is approximately 48 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Ruthy in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 710 people with the first name Ruthy. That placed it at #16,017 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.24 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ruthy was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Ruthy?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ruthy was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 2.0% male and 98.0% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Ruthy?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Ruthy was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (43.49%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (25.75%) and Black (19.46%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Ruthy a female name?

Ruthy is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Ruthy have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ruthy peaked in 1958, and the average living bearer is about 48 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Ruthy Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ruthy Smith, Ruthy Johnson, Ruthy Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination