Ruby (given name)


Ruby is a predominantly feminine given name taken from the name of the gemstone ruby. The name of the gemstone comes from the Latin ruber, meaning red. The ruby is the birthstone for the month of July.
The name first came into wide use for girls in the late Victorian era along with other jewel names.

Popularity

Ruby is a currently popular name in English-speaking countries. It was the second most popular name given to baby girls in England and Wales in 2009, was the 24th most popular name given to baby girls born in Scotland in 2009; was the 17th most popular name for girls in Ireland in 2009; was the second most popular name for girls in New Zealand in 2009; was among the top five names given to girls in several Australian states in 2009, 2010 and 2013; and was the 108th most popular name given to baby girls born in the United States in 2009. The name was also once rarely given to boys in the United States and was ranked in the top 1,000 names given to boys born in that country between 1900 and 1940. In its masculine form, it is occasionally used as a nickname for the name Reuben.
Authors Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz noted in their 2007 book Baby Name Bible that Ruby is a "vibrant" name with a "sassy and sultry" image,
while Laura Wattenberg wrote in her 2005 book The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name For Your Baby that Ruby has the image of a woman "kicking up her heels" at a music hall.

Notable people

Notable people with the name include: