Ruby is a predominantly feminine given name taken from the name of the gemstone ruby. The name of the gemstone comes from the Latin rubinus, meaning red.[1] The ruby is the birthstone for the month of July.[2]

Ruby
The name Ruby is taken from the name of the gemstone ruby.
Pronunciation/ˈrbi/ ROO-bee
Genderfemale
Origin
Word/nameLatin
Meaning"ruby"
Other names
Related namesReuben, Rubi

The name first came into wide use for girls in the late Victorian era, along with other jewel names.

Ruby by Alfons Mucha, 1900

Popularity

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Ruby is a currently well-used name for girls in English-speaking countries. 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.[3]

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,[4] 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.[5]

Notable people

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Notable people with the name include:

Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ Behind the Name
  3. ^ Behind the Name
  4. ^ Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2007). The Baby Name Bible. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-35220-2, p. 244
  5. ^ Wattenberg, Laura (2005). The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name For Your Baby. Broadway. ISBN 0-7679-1752-9