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

Ruka, 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 Ruka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruka in America

Ruka is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruka surname appeared 217 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 Ruka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruka 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 Ruka

The surname RUKA has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in the regions of Eastern Europe. It is believed to have emerged in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century.

RUKA is derived from the Slavic word "ruka," which translates to "hand" or "arm." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's occupation or physical characteristics related to their hands or arms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUKA surname can be found in the Novgorod Birch Bark manuscripts, a collection of ancient documents written on birch bark dating back to the 11th to 15th centuries. These manuscripts were discovered in the city of Veliky Novgorod, which was part of the Kievan Rus' and an important center of trade and culture.

In the 14th century, a merchant named Ivan RUKA was mentioned in the records of the city of Pskov, which was located in the western part of modern-day Russia. This early reference provides evidence of the surname's use during this time period.

During the Middle Ages, the RUKA surname also appeared in various regions of Poland. One notable figure was Stanisław RUKA, a Polish nobleman and military commander who served under King Władysław II Jagiełło in the early 15th century. He was known for his bravery and leadership in battles against the Teutonic Knights.

In the 16th century, a German scholar and humanist named Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) mentioned a person named Matthias RUKA in his writings, suggesting the name's presence in parts of Central Europe during the Renaissance era.

Another notable bearer of the RUKA surname was Mikhail RUKA, a Russian industrialist and entrepreneur who lived in the 18th century. He was involved in the establishment of several factories and businesses in the city of Tula, which was known for its metalworking and arms manufacturing.

In the 19th century, a Ukrainian writer and poet named Yevhen RUKA (1808-1865) gained recognition for his works depicting the lives of Ukrainian peasants and the struggle against serfdom. His literary contributions were significant in the development of Ukrainian literature and cultural identity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruka

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

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

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

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