The ring finger is the fourth finger on your hand, located between your middle finger and pinky. It got its name from the tradition of wearing a wedding ring on this particular finger.

For thousands of years, people in many cultures have believed that a special vein runs directly from the ring finger to the heart. The ancient Romans called this the vena amoris, or “vein of love.” While we now know that all fingers have similar blood vessels, the romantic idea stuck, and the tradition of wearing wedding rings on this finger continues in many countries today.

The ring finger is typically the weakest and least independent finger on your hand. Try lifting just your ring finger while keeping your other fingers flat on a table: it's surprisingly difficult! That's because the tendons controlling your ring finger are connected to the tendons of your middle finger, making it hard to move one without the other. This can make the ring finger a safe choice for wearing precious jewelry, since you're less likely to use it for rough tasks that might damage an expensive ring.

In some countries, like Russia, Greece, and India, people wear their wedding rings on the ring finger of their right hand instead of the left.