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

Ruelas, 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 Ruelas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruelas in America

Ruelas is the 3140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruelas surname appeared 11,505 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Ruelas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruelas 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 Ruelas

The surname Ruelas finds its origin in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "ruela," which translates to "small wheel" or "roller," likely referring to an occupation or a distinguishing physical feature associated with the first person to bear the name.

The name Ruelas can be traced to the region of Castile, where it was first documented in the 13th century. It is possible that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with wheels or rollers, such as a cartwright or a miller.

Historical records from the 14th century mention a Juan Ruelas, a landowner in the town of Segovia, Castile. This early reference suggests that the name had already established itself as a hereditary surname by that time.

In the 15th century, the name Ruelas appeared in the chronicles of the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands, where a soldier named Pedro Ruelas was noted for his bravery in battle against the native inhabitants.

During the 16th century, the name Ruelas spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas. One notable bearer was Diego Ruelas, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Juana Ruelas gained recognition in Spain for her philanthropic work and establishment of a charitable foundation in the city of Seville.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the name Ruelas traveled to different parts of the world. In the 18th century, a Portuguese explorer named António Ruelas documented his voyage to the East Indies, contributing to the geographical knowledge of the time.

Throughout the 19th century, several individuals bearing the surname Ruelas made significant contributions in various fields. Notably, Francisco Ruelas was a renowned painter and sculptor in Mexico, while José Ruelas was a celebrated poet and novelist in Spain.

These examples illustrate the rich history and global reach of the surname Ruelas, which has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruelas

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!