As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.
The protagonist Beatrice Prior of American author Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy goes by the nickname Tris for the majority of the novels. American author Tamora Pierce also uses Tris as a nickname for the character Trisana Chandler in her Circle of Magic series.