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

Ruf, 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 Ruf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruf in America

Ruf is the 16130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruf surname appeared 1,794 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 Ruf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruf 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 Ruf

The surname RUF originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "ruf," which means "call" or "shout." This suggests that the name may have been initially a nickname or occupational name for a town crier, messenger, or someone who had a particularly loud voice.

The earliest recorded instance of the RUF surname dates back to the 13th century in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Some of the earliest documented examples include Konrad Rufe mentioned in records from the city of Ulm in 1288, and Heinrich Ruf, a landowner in the village of Pforzheim in 1312.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Rufe, Ruoff, and Ruff, reflecting regional spelling variations. One notable figure was Meister Ruf, a respected architect and stonemason from Strasbourg, who was involved in the construction of the city's famous cathedral in the early 1300s.

During the 16th century, the RUF surname gained prominence in the German-speaking regions. Johannes Ruf, a Protestant theologian and reformer from Strassburg (now Strasbourg, France), played a significant role in the Reformation movement in the 1520s. Another influential figure was Jakob Ruf, a writer and poet from Zurich, Switzerland, who lived from 1505 to 1558.

In the 17th century, the RUF name appeared in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. One notable example is Maria Ruf, a Swiss painter and engraver active in Amsterdam during the 1670s, known for her still-life and floral works.

The 18th century saw the surname spread further across Europe, with individuals bearing the name RUF making contributions in various fields. Johann Ruf, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1713, worked as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and made significant advancements in the study of calculus.

Throughout history, the RUF surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including the 20th-century German philosopher and theologian Hans Ruf (1888-1957), the Swiss writer and poet Siegmund Ruf (1920-2002), and the German football player and manager Hans-Jürgen Ruf (born 1952).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruf

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

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

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

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