Ruby

roo-bee
Hebrew
"behold, a son"

Ruby Origin and Meaning

The name Ruby is a boy's name meaning "behold, a son".

Ruby could be a short form of the Biblical name Reuben and especially its streamlined form, Ruben. As a gemstone name, it's currently enjoying a fresh boom of popularity for girls – nearing the US Top 50 for the first time in almost a century.

Despite its two waves of popularity for girls, it has been occasionally used for boys since the 1890s. Since Ruby re-entered the US Top 100 for girls in 2011, nearly 70 boys have been bestowed the name.

While Ruby isn't likely to become a (statistically) unisex name just yet, as softer options like True, Ari, Robin, Casey, Alby, and Tatum come into style, perhaps a few more parents will consider it?

# 456 on Nameberry

Ruby Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Ruby Popularity

Famous People Named Ruby

  • Ruby Laffoon
    American politician, 43rd governor of Kentucky
  • Rupert "Ruby" Walsh
    Irish jockey

Ruby in Pop Culture

  • Ruby Dennis
    main character in movie "Dear Mr. Wonderful"
  • Ruby Rhod
    character in movie "The Fifth Element"
  • Ruby
    main character in the manga "Pokemon Adventures"