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

Ruley, 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 Ruley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruley in America

Ruley is the 20037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruley surname appeared 1,335 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 Ruley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruley 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 Ruley

The surname RULEY is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ru" and "leah," which collectively translate to "rough clearing" or "rough meadow." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in or near a rough, uneven area of land.

One of the earliest known references to the name RULEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire, a historical record of tax payments made to the English Crown, dating back to 1194. The entry mentions a "William Ruley" as a landowner in the county.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Rulegh" and "Ruelegh," reflecting the fluidity of spelling during that era. A notable figure from this time period was Sir John Ruley, a knight who served under King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th century.

The Hundredorum Rolls, a census-like survey conducted in England between 1273 and 1274, also contains several mentions of individuals with the surname RULEY or its variants, indicating the name's presence across various regions of the country.

During the 16th century, the name RULEY gained prominence in the county of Gloucestershire, where several individuals bearing the name were recorded as landowners and influential members of the local community. One such figure was Thomas Ruley (c. 1520-1587), a wealthy merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of a grammar school in the town of Winchcombe.

Another notable RULEY was Sir John Ruley (1575-1642), a Member of Parliament and loyal supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War. He fought for the Royalist cause and played a significant role in the defense of Gloucester against the Parliamentarian forces.

In the 18th century, the RULEY family had established themselves in the county of Derbyshire, where a prominent member, William Ruley (1715-1792), served as the High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1765. His son, also named William Ruley (1745-1817), was a respected lawyer and Justice of the Peace in the same county.

Throughout the centuries, the RULEY surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Ruley Lane in Gloucestershire and Ruley Farm in Derbyshire, further solidifying the name's historical roots and connections to specific regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruley

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

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

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

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