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

Ruffins, 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 Ruffins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruffins in America

Ruffins is the 53204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruffins surname appeared 389 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 Ruffins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruffins 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 Ruffins

The surname Ruffins is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "rufin," which means "reddish-brown" or "red-haired." It is believed to have emerged as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with reddish-brown hair or a ruddy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where it appears as "Rufyn." This suggests that the name was already in use during the 13th century in England.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved into various spellings, such as "Ruffyn," "Ruffine," and "Ruffyns," as evident in records from Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk counties. During this time, the name was predominantly concentrated in the eastern regions of England.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in the form "Ruffins" in parish records from Bedfordshire and Essex. This spelling became more standardized and widespread throughout the following centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Ruffins include John Ruffins, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Ruffins, a landowner and magistrate in Berkshire, who was born in 1612 and died in 1685.

In the 18th century, William Ruffins, a renowned architect from Yorkshire, was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Ruffins Manor in Harrogate, which still stands today.

During the 19th century, the Ruffins family played a significant role in the British military. Major General Edward Ruffins (1789-1867) was a highly decorated officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War.

Another notable individual from this period was Elizabeth Ruffins (1821-1897), a prominent writer and social reformer who advocated for women's education and suffrage.

While the surname Ruffins is not as common today as it once was, it continues to be a part of British heritage, with its origins tracing back to the early medieval period and its distinctive meaning rooted in physical characteristics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruffins

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

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

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

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