Find out how popular the last name LaRuffa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named LaRuffa.

LaRuffa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the LaRuffa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaRuffa in America

LaRuffa is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaRuffa surname appeared 219 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname LaRuffa.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaRuffa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name LaRuffa

The surname LARUFFA has its origins in Italy, where it first appeared in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "ruffo," which means "reddish-brown" or "auburn," referring to the hair color of the earliest bearers of the name. The prefix "la" was likely added later, suggesting the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname.

Historical records show that the LARUFFA name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Salerno, which mentions a certain "Guglielmo LARUFFA."

In the 15th century, the LARUFFA name appeared in several legal documents and property records in the city of Naples. A notable figure from this time was Pietro LARUFFA, a wealthy merchant who was involved in the city's lucrative silk trade.

As the centuries passed, the LARUFFA name spread to other parts of Italy and beyond. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in Sicily, where they became landowners and members of the local nobility. One of the most prominent Sicilian LARUFFAs was Giovanni LARUFFA, who served as mayor of the town of Modica from 1586 to 1590.

The 17th century saw the birth of Vincenzo LARUFFA (1630-1711), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Naples. His influential treatise on criminal law, "De Crimine Laesae Maiestatis," was widely studied throughout Europe.

In the 19th century, the LARUFFA name gained further recognition with the artist Giuseppe LARUFFA (1834-1898), whose paintings and frescoes can be found in numerous churches and palaces across Italy. He was particularly known for his religious works and portraits.

Another notable figure was Enrico LARUFFA (1856-1931), a pioneering Italian engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the first hydroelectric power plant in Italy, located in the town of Tivoli near Rome.

Throughout its long history, the LARUFFA name has been associated with various professions, ranging from merchants and lawyers to artists and engineers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the surname has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by generations of LARUFFA families who have left their mark across different cultures and societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaRuffa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname LaRuffa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for LaRuffa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of LaRuffa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name LaRuffa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of LaRuffa, please contact us.

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