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

Ruffner, 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 Ruffner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruffner in America

Ruffner is the 10679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruffner surname appeared 2,994 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 Ruffner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruffner 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 Ruffner

The surname Ruffner has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Ruff," meaning "a ruff or ruffle," which was a type of collar worn in that era. The name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupation descriptor to someone who made or wore these ruffled collars.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ruffner surname can be traced back to the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Historical records from these regions show variations in the spelling, such as Ruffner, Ruffler, and Rüffner.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the church records of the town of Steinbach in Baden-Württemberg, which mention a Johann Ruffner in the year 1592. Additionally, the name appears in various tax and census records from the 17th and 18th centuries in the same region.

As the Ruffner family spread across Europe, some members established themselves in notable positions. For instance, Johann Jakob Ruffner (1662-1737) was a renowned architect and stonemason from Württemberg, responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.

In the late 18th century, a branch of the Ruffner family emigrated to the United States, settling in Virginia and Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded Ruffners in America was Jacob Ruffner (1734-1819), a farmer and landowner who served in the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War.

Another notable Ruffner was Lewis Ruffner (1797-1883), a prominent lawyer and politician from Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was a staunch supporter of the Union during the Civil War.

In the realm of literature, the name Ruffner is associated with Henry Ruffner (1790-1861), a Presbyterian minister and writer from Virginia. He authored several works on theology and education, including "The Drunkard's Child" and "Memoir of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers."

One of the most significant figures bearing the Ruffner name was William Henry Ruffner (1824-1908), an educator and civil engineer. He served as the first president of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech) and played a crucial role in the establishment and development of the institution.

While the Ruffner surname is not as prevalent as some other German names, it has left its mark on various fields throughout history, from architecture and politics to literature and education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruffner

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ruffner, 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!