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

Ruda, 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 Ruda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruda in America

Ruda is the 23432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruda surname appeared 1,085 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 Ruda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruda 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 Ruda

The surname RUDA originated in Poland in the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the old Polish word "ruda," which referred to reddish or russet hair color. This indicates that the name was likely first given as a descriptive nickname to someone with reddish hair hues.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUDA surname appears in the 13th-century Księga Henrykowska, an old Polish chronicle that documented important events and transactions in the region. The name is listed as "Ruda" in this manuscript, suggesting its early use as a hereditary surname.

In the 14th century, the RUDA name surfaced in various records across Poland, including the Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie, a collection of court documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This further establishes the surname's deep roots and widespread usage in medieval Poland.

The RUDA surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as the village of Rudka in southeastern Poland. This could indicate that some branches of the RUDA family may have derived their surname from a particular geographic location.

Notable figures throughout history who bore the RUDA surname include:

1. Mikołaj Ruda (c. 1505-1568), a Polish nobleman and diplomat who served as a royal secretary and envoy to various European courts.

2. Jan Ruda (1660-1722), a Polish Baroque painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.

3. Matej Ruda (1811-1886), a Slovak Roman Catholic priest and writer who played a significant role in the Slovak national revival movement.

4. Józef Ruda (1891-1941), a Polish military officer who fought in World War I and was executed by the Soviets during World War II.

5. Wanda Ruda (1916-2004), a Polish writer and author of children's books, including the popular "Przygody Tomka" series.

While the RUDA surname has its roots in medieval Poland, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as families migrated and settled in different regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruda

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

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 Ruda 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 Ruda 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 Ruda was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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