Rugenia
A feminine given name with uncertain origins and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Rugenia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rugenia today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rugenia births was 1948 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rugenia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rugenia is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rugenias were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rugenia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1948
9 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1955 SSA rank
#6,551
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Rugenia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rugenia from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1940s peak, Rugenia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rugenia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rugenia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rugenia
The name Rugenia is believed to have its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. The Etruscans were a highly advanced culture known for their art, architecture, and distinctive language, which remains largely undeciphered.
The name Rugenia is thought to be derived from the Etruscan word "ruka," which means "rock" or "stone." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who lived in rocky or mountainous areas or those who worked with stone, such as sculptors or masons.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Rugenia can be found in an Etruscan funerary inscription dated around the 5th century BCE. This inscription, discovered in the ancient Etruscan city of Chiusi, mentions a woman named "Rukenia," which is believed to be a variation of the name Rugenia.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rugenia. One of the earliest was Rugenia Vettia, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 1st century CE. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of various cultural institutions in Rome.
Another prominent figure was Rugenia of Aquitaine (c. 980 - 1040), a French noble and religious figure who founded several monasteries and convents in the region of Aquitaine in southwestern France. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.
In the 12th century, there was Rugenia of Burgundy (c. 1120 - 1190), a Countess of Burgundy who played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of the region during her reign.
The name Rugenia also appears in the historical records of the Byzantine Empire. Rugenia Paleologina (c. 1240 - 1292) was a Byzantine princess and a member of the Palaiologos dynasty, which ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1259 to 1453.
In the Renaissance period, Rugenia Grimaldi (c. 1500 - 1570) was a notable figure from the House of Grimaldi, the ruling family of Monaco. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of various cultural endeavors in the Principality of Monaco.
While the name Rugenia has its roots in ancient Etruscan culture, it has been carried through the centuries by individuals from various backgrounds and regions, each adding their own unique chapter to the rich history of this distinctive name.
People
Rugenia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rugenia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rugenia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rugenia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rugenia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Rugenia a common name?
We classify Rugenia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rugenia most popular?
The single biggest year for Rugenia was 1948, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rugenia is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rugenia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rugenia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rugenia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rugenia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rugenia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rugenia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Rugenia?
Want to know how many people have the name Rugenia? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.