| Hannah | Ruth | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | grace, favour | Friend, companion |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | HAN-uh | ROOTH |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2000 (23,087) | 1920 (26,102) |
| In 2025 | 3,973 | 1,781 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hannah | Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26,230 | 9,746 |
| 2010s | 64,506 | 10,857 |
| 2000s | 155,784 | 9,187 |
| 1990s | 158,818 | 8,730 |
| 1980s | 32,702 | 11,204 |
| 1970s | 4,544 | 13,431 |
| 1960s | 1,369 | 34,189 |
| 1950s | 1,447 | 62,538 |
| 1940s | 1,777 | 85,666 |
| 1930s | 2,126 | 109,204 |
| 1920s | 3,811 | 218,520 |
| 1910s | 4,465 | 173,675 |
| 1900s | 2,605 | 51,010 |
| 1890s | 3,021 | 32,867 |
| 1880s | 2,480 | 5,298 |
From Hebrew 'Channah' (חַנָּה) meaning grace or favour, from the root chen. The biblical mother of Samuel; the source name behind Anna, Anne, Ann and their many diminutives.
Ruth is a Hebrew name usually given as “companion” or “friend.” The Book of Ruth tells of her devotion to her mother-in-law; she became an ancestor of King David.
Hannah is more popular than Ruth today: about 3,973 US babies were given the name Hannah in 2025, compared with 1,781 named Ruth.
Hannah means grace, favour (hebrew origin), while Ruth means Friend, companion (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Hannah first appears in 1880 and Ruth in 1880, so Hannah has the longer recorded history.