Thirty years of Ruby
Ruby in numbers
Ruby peaked in 2007 with 4,983 girls and has fallen since, to 1,032 in 2025. Its biggest three-year rise came between 2003 and 2006, from 1,084 to 4,511. It ranked 103rd in 1996, reached 1st in 2007 and ranks 38th now. On average it was given to 500 girls a year in the late 1990s, 2,708 in the 2000s, 2,543 in the 2010s and 1,174 in the 2020s so far.
† Shapes, averages and turning points are Baby Data calculations from the ONS counts.
What the official statisticians said
“In Wales, Ruby was the firm favourite for baby girls, perhaps due to the link with the colour red or celebrity Charlotte Church’s daughter?”
ONS, on 2010 births in England and Wales. Read the source
“Other 'Enders names to have a good year were Ruby (Up 16 places to 15)”
General Register Office, on 2005 births in England and Wales. Read the source
Quoted word for word from the official releases, including their own “may” and “could”. Baby Data has not added reasons of its own. Releases for Scotland and Northern Ireland are about babies there, not in England and Wales.
Milestones
First year in each bandChange
- On last year+1%1,020 to 1,032
- 5 years-24%1,359 to 1,032
- 10 years-53%2,215 to 1,032
- 20 years-67%3,149 to 1,032
- Since 1996×2458 to 1,032
- Total, 1996 to 202561,553girls
† All changes and totals are Baby Data calculations from ONS counts. A total adds only the published years.
Across the three nations, 2025
Each from its own statistics office, never added togetherRank 38 · ONS · 1,020 in 2024
Rank 30 · NRS · 100 in 2024
Rank 23 · NISRA · 45 in 2024
England and Wales (ONS) count births in the calendar year; Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland (NISRA) count births registered in the year. Each comes from its own statistics office and they are never added together.
Year by year, 1996 to 2025 Show all 30 yearsHide the table
| Year | Rank | Babies | Change† | 1 in X† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | 1,032 | +1% | 1 in 276 |
| 2024 | 41 | 1,020 | -4% | 1 in 284 |
| 2023 | 39 | 1,059 | -17% | 1 in 272 |
| 2022 | 30 | 1,271 | -2% | 1 in 232 |
| 2021 | 34 | 1,300 | -4% | 1 in 234 |
| 2020 | 30 | 1,359 | -18% | 1 in 220 |
| 2019 | 27 | 1,656 | +8% | 1 in 188 |
| 2018 | 32 | 1,531 | -9% | 1 in 209 |
| 2017 | 29 | 1,688 | -11% | 1 in 196 |
| 2016 | 26 | 1,904 | -14% | 1 in 178 |
| 2015 | 17 | 2,215 | -15% | 1 in 153 |
| 2014 | 15 | 2,595 | -12% | 1 in 130 |
| 2013 * | 11 | 2,948 | -9% | 1 in 116 |
| 2012 | 12 | 3,231 | -13% | 1 in 110 |
| 2011 | 7 | 3,702 | -7% | 1 in 95 |
| 2010 | 7 | 3,961 | -13% | 1 in 89 |
| 2009 | 2 | 4,555 | -8% | 1 in 76 |
| 2008 | 2 | 4,931 | -1% | 1 in 70 |
| 2007 | 1 | 4,983 | +10% | 1 in 67 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4,511 | +43% | 1 in 73 |
| 2005 | 12 | 3,149 | +90% | 1 in 100 |
| 2004 | 31 | 1,654 | +53% | 1 in 188 |
| 2003 | 47 | 1,084 | +36% | 1 in 280 |
| 2002 | 66 | 795 | +7% | 1 in 365 |
| 2001 | 67 | 745 | +10% | 1 in 389 |
| 2000 | =78 | 675 | +16% | 1 in 437 |
| 1999 | 93 | 581 | +22% | 1 in 521 |
| 1998 | 107 | 475 | -2% | n/a |
| 1997 | 104 | 485 | +6% | 1 in 646 |
| 1996 | 103 | 458 | 1 in 690 |
* ONS’s girls’ 2013 file repeats the May total as April, so the 2013 births total is about 1,360 too high and 1 in X for 2013 is slightly too high. 1 in X is not shown for girls in 1998: one monthly total is missing from the ONS girls’ 1998 file. Rank follows ONS: names with the same count share a rank (shown with =). “Under 3” means the name was given to fewer than 3 babies that year, so ONS did not publish it.
Compare Ruby
Draws the second name on the chart above, on a shared scale.
Share and download
Ruby is in the free dataset (CSV and JSON), with the method and how to cite it.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; National Records of Scotland; NISRA. Exact spellings are counted separately and names given to fewer than 3 babies are not published. Figures marked † are Baby Data calculations. How we calculate
Ruby is in our lists: Short baby names.