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

Ruffley, 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 Ruffley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruffley in America

Ruffley is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruffley surname appeared 128 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 Ruffley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruffley 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 Ruffley

The surname Ruffley originates from England and is believed to have first emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from an old English place name, likely referencing a location with a rugged or rough terrain, possibly characterized by hills or ridges. The name may have its roots in words like "rough" or "rugh" in Old English, or the Old French word "rufel," meaning rough or uneven.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ruffley can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a collection of inquisitions or rolls compiled in England between 1274 and 1275. This document mentions a "William de Rughleye" from Warwickshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Ruffley surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Rughley," "Ruggeley," and "Ruggeley," reflecting the evolution of the name over time. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327 mention a "William de Rugeley," suggesting the name's association with the town of Rugeley in Staffordshire.

One notable individual bearing the Ruffley surname was Sir Thomas Ruffley (c. 1420 - 1490), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in 1472. He played a role in the Wars of the Roses, initially supporting the Yorkist cause but later switching allegiance to the Lancastrians.

Another historical figure with the Ruffley name was John Ruffley (1553 - 1620), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, from 1608 until his death.

In the 17th century, the Ruffley surname is associated with Edward Ruffley (1624 - 1685), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Bramber in Sussex from 1679 to 1685.

Moving into the 18th century, a prominent individual with the Ruffley name was Sir George Ruffley (1730 - 1802), a British naval officer who served as a captain in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Ruffley (1824 - 1903), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruffley

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

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

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

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