Namewise

Grace vs Ruby

Grace and Rubycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Ruby #38 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Ruby #36 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Ruby #28 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Ruby #34 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Ruby #17 among girls in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #27 and Ruby #38 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Ruby #450 among girls in Norway.

Grace and Ruby over time

Grace and Ruby appear together in 5 published lists, across 152 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ruby in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Ruby reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Grace in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Grace and Ruby changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1992 and 2023, ending at #18 and #17.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Grace and Ruby averaged 22.0 places apart, ending at #27 and #38.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Grace and Ruby were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #27 and #38.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Grace #1 in 2006, Ruby #1 in 2007.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1991–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ruby in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Ruby #16 in 2013.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Ruby #36.

  • New Zealand · Girls32 shared years, 1992–2023

    Grace held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ruby in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Ruby #1 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Ruby #17.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ruby in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Ruby #1 in 2007.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #27, Ruby #38.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ruby in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Ruby #2 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Ruby #28.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1998–2024

    Grace held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Ruby in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Ruby #18 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Ruby #38.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Grace

Pairs where Grace shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Ruby

Pairs where Ruby shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Grace, Ruby
FieldGraceRuby
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningGrace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name).Taken from the gemstone name; the ruby is the traditional July birthstone. As a given name it came into use in the 16th century.
OriginEnglish (virtue name), from Latin gratiaEnglish, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red')
Pronunciation/ˈɡɹeɪs//ˈruːbi/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesGracieNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Girls #28 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Ruby is recorded with a English, ultimately from Latin rubeus ('red') origin.
  • Grace and Ruby both have 2 syllables.
  • Grace's recorded meaning differs from Ruby's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives Grace a "high" Data Confidence level and Ruby a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Grace

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #27 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Ruby

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1991

    First recorded at #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2007 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #38 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls