Book of Ruth is also the name of a person, Ruth.

Ruth is a cameo story of love, devotion, and redemption set in the black context of the days of the judges. It is the story of a Moabite woman who forsakes her pagan heritage in order to cling to the people of Israel and to the God of Israel. Because of her faithfulness in a time of national faithlessness, God rewards her by giving her a new husband (Boaz), a son (Obed), and a privileged position in the lineage of David and Christ (she is the great-grandmother of David).

Ruth is the Hebrew title of this book. This name may be a Moabite modification of the Hebrew word reult, meaning "friendship" or "association." The Septuagint titles the book Routh, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name. The Latin title is Ruth, a transliteration of Routh.