Ruadh
Say it: ROO-a
BoyIrishMeans red, or red-haired5 letters2 syllables
#232
in Ireland (2025)
#229 with spellings combined
20
babies in 2025
#171
best rank (2024)
146
babies since 2014
Up 193
10-year rank change
Ruadh through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #229 |
| 2024 | 29 | #171 |
| 2023 | 16 | #262 |
| 2022 | 22 | #221 |
| 2021 | 15 | #285 |
| 2020 | 6 | #472 |
| 2019 | 10 | #357 |
| 2018 | 7 | #446 |
| 2017 | 6 | #495 |
| 2016 | 3 | #713 |
| 2015 | 8 | #422 |
| 2014 | 4 | #609 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Ruadh mean?
Red, or red-haired
Irish, the older spelling of rua (red), from Old Irish rúad.
Say it right
ROOa
The "dh" at the end is silent in most Irish, so it sounds like the modern spelling rua.
Not:ROO-adROOD
The story of Ruadh
Ruadh is an older spelling of the Irish word rua, meaning red, and it is especially used of red hair. It goes back to the Old Irish rúad. The spelling reform of the mid-20th century dropped the silent “dh”, but parents choosing it as a name often prefer the older look, much as they do with Fiadh.
The word has a long history as a nickname in Irish. The best-known example is Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill, Red Hugh O’Donnell, the lord of Tír Chonaill who fought against English rule in the 1590s. In names like his, ruadh was a description added to a first name rather than the name itself.
As a first name on its own, Ruadh is new. It first appears in the CSO records in 2014, and it rose quickly. Its best year was 2024, when 29 boys were given it and it reached number 171. In Northern Ireland it has only been recorded since 2023.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: ruadh (Irish adjective)
- Wiktionary: rua (Irish adjective)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ruadh | 20 | 143 |
| Rúadh | under 3 | 3 |
In Northern Ireland
#344 in 2025 with 4 babies. Best rank #249 (2023); 17 babies since 2023.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.