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Home › Baby Names Directory › Ruhi

Ruhi

♀ Girl

Pronounced roo-HEE /ɾuː.ˈhiː/Medium

Meaning: Spiritual; of the soulMedium

In 30 seconds: Ruhi is an Arabic name meaning 'spiritual' or 'of the soul.' It draws directly on the root for spirit, ruh.
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Origin MediumArabic, Persian, Turkish
MeaningSpiritual; of the soul
U.S. rank (2025)#2115 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births89 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2020
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,333

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202419892025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ruhi comes from Arabic, where it carries the sense of 'spiritual' or belonging to the soul, tied to the word ruh for spirit. The name is used across Arabic and Persian naming traditions. It also appears in the spellings Roohi and Ruhy, which reflect different ways of rendering the long vowel.

The two-syllable shape feels light and contemplative, matching its meaning. The Turkish triple-jumper Ruhi Sarıalp, born in 1924, is among its recorded bearers.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Ruhi is 'spiritual; of the soul', from the Arabic and Persian root ruh ('soul, spirit'), and that soulful idea is part of the name's long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 70%
Behind the Name - Ruhi — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

RuhyRoohi

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Ruhi Sarıalp (1924–2001)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Ruhi…

Aylah— lands in the same popularity range
Ziya— a similarly popular pick
Elif— a similarly popular pick
Zeynep— a fellow Turkish choice
Aysel— another Turkish name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ruhi mean?

Ruhi comes from the Arabic/Persian root ruh 'soul, spirit' and means 'spiritual; of the soul'. It is used in Turkish, Persian, Urdu and Hindi.

How do you pronounce Ruhi?

It's commonly said roo-HEE /ɾuː.ˈhiː/.

Is Ruhi a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Ruhi is used as a girl name.

How popular is Ruhi?

In 2024, Ruhi ranked #1870 in the U.S. for girls, with 107 births recorded.

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