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

Ruggiero, 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 Ruggiero surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruggiero in America

Ruggiero is the 3825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruggiero surname appeared 9,263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ruggiero.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruggiero 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 Ruggiero

The surname Ruggiero has its origins in the Italian language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian personal name Ruggiero, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Rodger or Roger.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ruggiero can be found in historical documents from various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Campania and Puglia. It is believed that the name may have been introduced to these areas during the Norman conquest of southern Italy in the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Ruggiero was Ruggiero I, Count of Sicily, who lived in the 12th century. He was a prominent figure in the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and played a significant role in the conquest and settlement of the island.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Ruggiero was Ruggiero II, King of Sicily, who ruled from 1130 to 1154. He was known for his military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and for his patronage of the arts and culture.

In the 14th century, a famous Italian poet and scholar named Ruggiero de' Ruggieri lived in Florence. He was a member of the prestigious Accademia della Crusca and contributed to the development of the Italian language and literature.

During the Renaissance period, a renowned Italian architect and military engineer named Ruggiero Ruggieri da Puglia made significant contributions to the field of fortification design. He worked on various defensive structures throughout Italy and is credited with the design of the fortifications in the city of Lecce.

In the 19th century, Ruggiero Settimo was an Italian politician and patriot who played a prominent role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He served as the President of the Sicilian Parliament and was instrumental in the annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Ruggiero throughout history. The name continues to be prevalent in various regions of Italy and has spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruggiero

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

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

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

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