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

Ruegge, 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 Ruegge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruegge in America

Ruegge is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruegge surname appeared 139 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 Ruegge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruegge 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 Ruegge

The surname RUEGGE is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "rugg," which means "ridge" or "hump." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a ridge or hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval documents from the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany. In the 1400s, a knight named Hans Ruegge was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the exploits of local nobility.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in several parish records from the town of Augsburg, indicating that families with the surname RUEGGE were established in the area. One notable individual from this time was Martin Ruegge, a merchant and landowner born in 1527.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Rugge, Rügge, and Rüegge. These different spellings can be found in various historical documents and records from the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, the name RUEGGE was associated with several prominent figures. Johann Ruegge (1793-1867) was a respected theologian and author from Württemberg. His contemporary, Wilhelm Ruegge (1802-1879), was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Munich.

Another notable bearer of the name was Karl Ruegge (1855-1928), a German politician and member of the Reichstag (German parliament) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the name RUEGGE is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For instance, records from the 18th century show a family with the name Ruegge residing in the Swiss Canton of Zurich.

Furthermore, the name RUEGGE has been linked to various place names in Germany, such as Ruggerath and Ruggenburg, which may have influenced the surname's development or been derived from it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruegge

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

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

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

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