Englsih, introduced in Victorian times from the gemstone. The name originates from Latin "red".

A correspondent [AB] has reported a family in Lanarkshire, Scotland, where a girl born about 1900 was named Ruby, possibly as a homage to the paternal grandmother Rebecca [see FAQ 12]. However, we have no evidence that Ruby is a general pet name for Rebecca so have not included this relationship.

There is no connection with the male name Ruby.