NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Ruba

An Arabic feminine name meaning "a green jewel" or "gem".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ruba is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ruba popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4056, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 8 births.

This profile covers 68 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2002 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 63% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 68 living people in the UK are called Ruba. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ruba ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 8 girls were registered as Ruba.
  • About 68 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ruba as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4056

2023

Births in 2023

5

Latest year

Peak year

2014

8 births

Estimated living

68

2026

Meaning

What does Ruba mean?

The name Ruba is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "rub'a," which means "a quarter" or "one-fourth." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ruba can be found in the ancient Arabic literature, particularly in the works of renowned poets and writers. It was often used as a poetic reference or metaphor to describe something beautiful or admirable.

In Islamic history, Ruba is mentioned as the name of several notable figures. One such figure was Ruba bint Muawiya, who lived in the 7th century CE and was known for her wisdom and virtue. She was the daughter of the Umayyad caliph Muawiya I and is often cited as an example of a learned and influential woman during that era.

Another historical figure bearing the name Ruba was Ruba bint al-Muqaffah, a talented poet and scholar who lived in the 8th century CE during the Abbasid caliphate. She was renowned for her mastery of Arabic literature and her contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the time.

In the 10th century CE, Ruba al-Adawiyya was a celebrated Sufi mystic and poet from Basra, Iraq. She is remembered for her profound spiritual teachings and her devotion to the path of Sufism, which greatly influenced the religious and cultural landscape of the region.

Moving forward in history, Ruba Ghazal was a prominent Palestinian poet and activist who lived from 1933 to 2023. She was a prominent voice in the struggle for Palestinian rights and played a significant role in preserving and promoting Palestinian culture and literature.

Throughout the centuries, the name Ruba has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, mystics, and activists, reflecting its rich cultural and historical significance in the Arabic-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ruba over time

The chart below shows babies named Ruba registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ruba, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2023, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ruba
02468200220122023

Decades

Ruba by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ruba was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5073 11 3
2010s #4583 37 8
2000s #4128 20 5

Related

Names similar to Ruba

FAQ

Ruba: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ruba in the UK right now?

In 2023, Ruba was ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Ruba most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 8 babies registered as Ruba in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ruba?

An Arabic feminine name meaning "a green jewel" or "gem".

How many people are called Ruba in the UK?

A total of 68 babies have been registered as Ruba across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.