Rue

Did you know?

A few things about Rue you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Rue

Rue McClanahan

American actress and comedian (1934-2010)

Choose Rue and your child shares a first name with Rue McClanahan, an American actress and comedian. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Rue, like who?” Rue McClanahan's Wikipedia article is available in 40 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Rue McClanahan on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Studio Publicity, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 9,515 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Rue, 169 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Rue would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRue first shows up in US birth records in 1896, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 129 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2024, when it reached #1,240.
• 🚀TrendRue has climbed 1,150 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,318. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedRue is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #361, followed by Maryland (#731) and Washington (#732). It's in the top 1,000 in 7 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Rue means “rue herb”. Our records link it to English, French and German roots.

About the name Rue

Rue is a girl name of English, French and German origin meaning “rue herb”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-rue”. US birth records list Rue for girls from 1896 to 2025, in 63 of those 130 years. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked #1,240 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,318, with 169 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesGerman namesGreek names