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

Ruddy, 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 Ruddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruddy in America

Ruddy is the 9917th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruddy surname appeared 3,258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ruddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruddy 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 Ruddy

The surname Ruddy is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "rudu," meaning "redness" or "ruddy complexion." The surname may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a particularly ruddy or flushed complexion.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England, there are references to individuals with the name Ruddi or Rudi, which may be early variations of the modern spelling. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is William Ruddy, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1218. Another early bearer of the name was John Ruddy, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327.

The surname Ruddy has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Rudby in North Yorkshire and Ruddington in Nottinghamshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Ruddy throughout history include:

1. Thomas Ruddy (1574-1638), an English prelate who served as the Bishop of St. Davids in Wales.
2. Benjamin Ruddy (1688-1757), a prominent English merchant and landowner based in Bristol.
3. Sir Charles Ruddy (1791-1865), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
4. Mary Ruddy (1832-1910), an Irish-American philanthropist and activist who was involved in the labor movement and women's suffrage.
5. Stephen Ruddy (1923-2010), a British author and historian known for his works on military history and World War II.

While the surname Ruddy is more commonly found in England and Ireland, it has also been present in other parts of the world due to migration patterns. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references suggest that the name has its roots firmly planted in the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruddy

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

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

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

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