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🔥Ruby

roo-bee
Latin
"deep red precious stone"
Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Fri May 10 2024

Ruby Origin and Meaning

The name Ruby is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "deep red precious stone".

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s.

The name of a precious stone, Ruby was ultimately derived from the Latin ruber meaning “red”. Despite its sweet, shiny contemporary feel, Ruby has in fact been used as a given name since the 1500s, though it really took off in the Victorian era, alongside Pearl and Opal.

Many cultures consider rubies to be the stone of kings, and the gem is surrounded by symbolism of wealth, power, life blood, success, and protection. It is also the birthstone for July, which could make it a discreet honor for a July-born relation or just right for a July-born baby.

In the US, Ruby was a popular choice in the early 20th century, and it peaked at #22 in 1911. By the 1940s however, it was falling down the charts, and while it never left the Top 400, parents turned away from Ruby and to the likes of Judy, Crystal, Rebecca, and Robin instead.

Then, in the mid-2000s, Ruby made big moves in the UK, leaping to #1 in 2007. Propelled upwards by the catchy song by The Kaiser Chiefs which was released the same year and influenced by celebs such as Tobey Maguire and Charlotte Church choosing it for their daughters, Ruby moved back into the US Top 100 in 2013.

A truly musical name, Ruby has featured in hits by The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Kenny Rogers, while namesakes of the fictional and famous variety including Rue from “Euphoria”, Ruby from “Steven Universe”, and Ruby Rose of “Orange is the New Black”, have kept the name in the public eye.

Given to more than 3000 babies in the US every year and continuing to climb the charts, Ruby is one of those vintage baby names that feels totally modern and full of life.

Love Ruby but want to beat the trends? You could try another vintage gem like Edith, Lula, Twila, Betsy, or Fern, or perhaps something with a similar sound, like Thisbe, Prue, Billie, or Rumi.

# 66 in the US

Ruby Rank in US Top 1000

# 47 on Nameberry

Ruby Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Ruby Popularity

Famous People Named Ruby

  • Ruby CastroAmerican dancer and model
  • Ruby Ferguson (born Rubie Constance Ashby)English children's author
  • Ruby Florence MurrayIrish singer
  • Ruby AldridgeAmerican supermodel
  • Ruby Dee (born Ruby Ann Wallace)American actress, poet and playwright
  • Ruby WrightAmerican country music singer; daughter of singer Kitty Wells
  • Ruby WaxAmerican,British comedienne
  • Ruby RoseAustralian model, MTV VJ, and actress
  • Ruby Catherine Stevensbirth name of American actress Barbara Stanwyck
  • Ruby Bernadette Nanette Fabaresbirth name of Nanette Fabray, American actress
  • Ruby Violet PayneScott, Australian radio astronomer
  • Ethel Hilda "Ruby" KeelerAmerican dancer and actress
  • Hsinju "Ruby" Lin, Taiwanese actress
  • Ruby GettingerAmerican reality TV personality of "Ruby"
  • Ruby CarrSouth African singer from band Bahari
  • Ruby Nell Bridges Hallfirst African,American girl to attend an all,white school
  • Ruby Joy (b. 1987)daughter of actors Robert and Mary Joy
  • Ruby Stewart (b. 1987)American model; daughter of singer Rod Stewart
  • Ruby Osman (b. 1989)daughter of TV presenter Richard Osman
  • Ruby Louise Bourne (b. 1990)daughter of actor/comedian Shane Bourne
  • Ruby Christine Schiffdaughter of actors Richard Schiff and Sheila Kelley
  • Ruby Jean Rosedaughter of actress Alexandra Pigg and director Bernard Rose
  • Ruby Cooperdaughter of actor Garry Cooper
  • Ruby Froom (b. 1994)daughter of singers Suzanne Vega and Mitchell Froom
  • Ruby Leilani Ashbourne Serkis (b. 1998)actress and daughter of Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne
  • Ruby Marino (b. 2006)daughter of actor Ken Marino
  • Ruby Sweetheart Maguire (b. 2006)daughter of actor Tobey Maguire
  • Ruby Megan Henson (b. 2007)daughter of singer Charlotte Church
  • Ruby Raven Reynolds (b. 2007)daughter of actors Jillian Barberie and Grant Reynolds
  • Ruby Iris Giansiracusa (b. 2008)daughter of AFL footballer Daniel Giansiracusa
  • Ruby Olsen (b. 2008)daughter of soccer player Ben Olsen
  • Ruby Green (b. 2009)daughter of footballer Paul Green
  • Ruby Young (b. 2010)stillborn daughter of drummer Adrian Young of No Doubt
  • Ruby Tatiana Cole (b. 2010)daughter of model Carly Cole and footballer Joe Cole
  • Ruby Luxe Anderson (b. 2010)daughter of cricketer James Anderson
  • Ruby Rainey (b. 2010)daughter of model/heiress Jasmine Guiness and Gawain Rainey
  • Ruby June Kerr (b. 2012)daughter of Australian rules footballer Daniel Kerr
  • Ruby Jeane Flynn (b. 2012)daughter of actress Marley Shelton and Beau Flynn
  • Ruby Rae Dellucci (b. 2013)daughter of baseball player David Dellucci
  • Ruby Lane Powell (b. 2013)daughter of trainer and TV personality Chris Powell
  • Ruby Aurelia McManus (b. 2013)daughter of TV presenter Rove McManus and actress Tasma Walton
  • Ruby Trohman (b. 2014)daughter of guitarist Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy
  • Ryan Ruby Mae Pritchard (b. 2010)daughter of musician Mike Dirnt
  • Ruby HunterIndigenous Australian (Ngarrindjeri) singer,songwriter
  • Ruby RiottWWE wrestler
  • Ruby Bhogalcontestant on The Great British Bake,Off 2018
  • Ruby Tandohcontestant on The Great British Bake,Off

Ruby in Pop Culture

  • Ruby Thewescharacter in Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain"
  • Ruby Lancastercharacter in the fourth installment of Liv and Maddie.
  • Ruby Bucktoncharacter on Australian soap "Home and Away"
  • Ruby Crescentcharacter in anime/manga "O,Parts Hunter"
  • 'Max and Ruby" animated TV series about the title rabbits
  • Ruby Sparks2012 movie and title character
  • Ruby Allencharacter on British soap "EastEnders"
  • Ruby Elizabeth Dalycharacter in Alexandra Bracken's series "The Darkest Minds"
  • Ruby Dalycharacter in Alexandra Bracken's "In the Afterlight", grandmother to the main character Ruby Daly
  • Ruby Clairemain character in 1977 movie "Ruby"
  • Rubyeldest child on TV's 'According to Jim'
  • Ruby Landrymain character in V.C. Andrews' "Ruby"
  • Ruby Gallaghermain character on TV's "Ruby & the Rockits"
  • Ruby Gillischaracter in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series
  • Ruby Jeffriescharacter on TV's "Hart of Dixie"
  • Ruby Toughspinster in Samuel Beckett's 1934 short story 'Love and Lethe'
  • Ruby Rosemain character of the web series "RWBY"
  • RubyRed Riding Hood on TV's "Once Upon A Time"
  • Rubycharacter in web series 'Coco and Ruby'
  • Rubydemon on the CW's 'Supernatural'
  • Ruby Trollmanmain character on animated series "Trollz"
  • Ruby Cherrytreecharacter on TV's 'The Worst Witch'
  • Ruby Comptoncharacter in movie 'Wah,Wah'
  • Ruby Frobisher (later Jessica Randolph)character in "Star of Babylon" by Barbara Wood
  • Rubyrabbit character in the Jewelpet series
  • Rubydinosaur in "The Land Before Time" animated series
  • Rubycharacter on TV's "The Tribe"
  • "Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe" radio drama
  • "Ruby Gloom" animated series
  • "Ruby Red" novel by Kerstin Gier
  • Ruby on Railscomputer programming language
  • Ruby Wooclassic MAC red lipstick
  • "Ruby Soho" song by Rancid
  • "Ruby Tuesday" song by The Rolling Stones
  • Ruby TuesdayAmerican restaurant chain
  • "Rubylove" a song by Cat Stevens
  • Ruby Morris is the main character in "H20"a novel.
  • Ruby Eleanor Lennoxcharacter in the novel "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" by Kate Atkinson (twin sister of Pearl Lennox)
  • Ruby Leemain character in the novel "Eating Chinese Food Naked"
  • "Ruby" a song by Twenty One Pilots
  • Rubycharacter on the animated series "Steven Universe"
  • Ruby Johnsoncharacter in ABC's "Black,ish"
  • "Ruby's Studio" series of kids' videos
  • Rubythe baby dragon from the game "Lunar 2: Eternal Blue"
  • The Ruby Sqaud from the animated TV series "Steven Universe" including Navy, Leggy, Doc, Army, and Eyeball
  • 'Ruby' song by Foster the People
  • Ruby Redfortcharacter from Lauren Child's Ruby Redfort book series
  • Ruby Kurosawacharacter from the anime "Love Live! Sunshine"

Ruby in Nameberry Blog Posts