Name of the Week

 

Feisty and vibrant Ruby is among the most sassy of the gem names. 
Hugely popular with British parents at the moment after a meteoric rise over the last decade, 
its short bell-tone, gem stone origin, warm colour and Victorian heritage 
demonstrates its multiple appeal.

 

Origin:

The name of a precious red stone from the Latin ruber meaning "red."

Usage:

As a first name, Ruby can traced back at least to the 18th century, and was used for both boys and girls. In many cases men named Ruby on early census records were actually registered formally as Reuben, demonstrating that Ruby was an accepted pet-form. There are, however, examples of boys who were registered soley as "Ruby." Such examples may have been influenced by Reuben, or possibly taken from the surname Ruby.  The 1841 UK census lists 13 Rubys (6 female, 7 male) demonstrating the name's low, but gender-neutral usage. Twenty years later, on the 1861 UK census, the count had risen to 48 (32 female, 14 male), showing the beginnings of a shift in gender usage.  The late-19th century saw the rising fashion for gemstones as names, and Ruby was at the forefront. By the 1881 UK census, 458 people were named Ruby, 443 of whom were female. By the 1901 UK census, a staggering 9,652 Rubys were listed, only 79 being male.  Ruby was a particular favourite of the Edwardians, and by 1904 it had hit the Top 100, ranking at #77. It kept rising for two more decades — #68 in 1914 and #62 in 1924 — until it fell out of the Top 100 in the 1930s.  The name reemerged in the charts in England and Wales in 1999 at #93 with 581 births. Characters in popular TV programs Eastenders and Cutting It helped its continued rapid climb up the charts in the subsequent decade (#66 in 2002, #47 in 2003, #31 in 2004, #12 in 2005, #4 in 2006) until it reached #1 in 2007 with 4983 births. It ranked at #2 in both 2008 and 2009, and had fallen slightly to #7 in 2010 with 3961 births. Individually, Ruby was #1 name in Wales in 2010.  In Scotland, Ruby suddenly shot into the Top 100 in 2005 at #43. It rose to #26 in 2007 but has plateaud since (#28 in 2008, #24 in 2009, #23 in 2010 and #27 in 2011). Ruby tells a remarkably similar story in Northern Ireland, having entered the Top 100 in 2005 at #51. It rose to #28 in 2007, and was #30 in 2010.

Famous Bearers:

* Colonel Ruby Bradley (1907–2002), a decorated US Army nurse. * Ruby Keeler (1910–1993), Canadian-born actress, singer and dancer famous for appearing in several 1930s musicals.  * Ruby Payne-Scott (1912—1981), pioneering, and first female, Australian astronomer. * Ruby Murray (1935—1996), popular British singer in the 1950s.  * Ruby Dee (b.1924), Grammy winning American actress * Ruby Wax (b.1953), comedienne. Other: * Ruby Tuesday is a song by The Rolling Stones.

Variants:

Rubina (Italian), Rubie, Rubi, Rubee (UK)

Possible diminutives:

Ru, Bee, Boo

Sibling Names:

May      Isabel      Grace      Eliza      Lucy      Isla  Leo      Oliver      Finn      Jack      Max     Luca

Name Lists:

Victorian Darlings   Short & Sweet   Gemstones   Red Names

 

If you like Ruby you may also like:   Carys, Pearl, Lily, Clara, Milly, Esme, Sadie, Lydia, Poppy, Francesca

 

This post was revised August 2012.