Ruth

Ruth comes from the Hebrew Rut and means “compassion,” “friend,” or “mercy.” Ruth is the name of a Moabite woman from Jewish and Christian scripture.

“‘Ruth.’ He had not thought a simple sound could be so beautiful. It delighted his ear, and he grew intoxicated with the repetition of it. ‘Ruth.’ It was a talisman, a magic word to conjure with. Each time he murmured it, her face shimmered before him, suffusing the foul wall with a golden radiance. This radiance did not stop at the wall. It extended on into infinity, and through its golden depths his soul went questing after hers. The best that was in him was out in splendid flood. The very thought of her ennobled and purified him, made him better, and made him want to be better.” —Jack London, Martin Eden (1909)