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Rue as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rue

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The baby name Rue is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /ruː/ (ROO).

Rue is French in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: French
Pronunciation: /ruː/ (ROO)

What is the meaning of the name Rue ?

The baby name Rue is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /ruː/ (ROO).

Rue is French in Origin.

Rue is an English given name and surname, pronounced ROO. It matches both the verb to rue, from Old English hrēowan “regret,” and the herb name, from Latin ruta via Old French, tying it to themes of penitence and grace; Shakespeare’s Ophelia calls rue the “herb of grace.”

As a given name, Rue has been used for both sexes in the Anglophone world - sometimes short for Ruth or Reuben/Rubén - and drew wider notice via actress Rue McClanahan and the Hunger Games character. Today it aligns with concise, nature-forward choices. Variants and related forms include Roo and Ru (nicknames), Roux (French “red-haired,” a phonetic cousin), and Ruta/Rūta (Lithuanian/Polish from the same plant). Core meaning centers on the rue plant and its emblem of repentance, healing, and protection.

Rue has the following similar or variant Names

Rue – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
Sweden Girls 2022 #176 4 1,568
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
Canada Girls 2024 #273 13 2,795
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
TW Girls 0 #288 2 8,139
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
QA Girls 0 #341 3 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
EG 0 #408 5 6,387
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
ZA 0 #469 6 14,421
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
United States Girls 2024 #729 188 8,487
SG Boys 0 #735 5 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
TN 0 #862 4 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #876 17 7,044
CL Girls 0 #913 3 14,098
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
MY Girls 0 #984 11 24,821
EG Girls 0 #1,001 9 14,742
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
SA Girls 0 #1,008 7 25,931
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
ZA Girls 0 #1,052 90 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,143 1 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,175 8 25,439
MA 0 #1,193 7 20,986
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,251 4 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,262 6 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,265 8 25,619
SA Boys 0 #1,688 4 28,008

Rue is popular in 43 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
Sweden

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People also ask about Rue

Rue is predominantly a girl's name.
Rue is a one syllable name, pronounced /ruː/ (ROO).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ru, Roo, Ruey and Roux.
Across languages, Rue has these equivalents: Ruta (Lithuanian/Latin), Ruda (Spanish/Italian word for the herb).
Yes, very popular — Rue ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Rue ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Rue's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #901 in 2014 to #729 in 2024 in United States.