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

Ruta, 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 Ruta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruta in America

Ruta is the 34539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruta surname appeared 655 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 Ruta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruta 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 Ruta

The surname Ruta has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "rupta," meaning a broken or torn piece of land, implying that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near a rocky or mountainous area. Alternatively, some sources suggest that the name could be a topographic surname referring to a path or road, stemming from the Italian word "rutta," which itself is derived from the Latin "rupta."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ruta surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, Italy, dating back to the 13th century. A document from 1274 mentions a certain "Guglielmo Ruta," indicating that the name was already established in that region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Venetian records, including the "Estimo" of 1379, which was a tax register of the Venetian Republic. This suggests that the Ruta family had established itself in the prosperous city of Venice by that time.

Throughout the centuries, the Ruta surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Giacomo Ruta, a 15th-century Italian painter and architect from the city of Messina in Sicily. His birth and death dates are unknown, but he is credited with the design of the Church of Santa Maria della Scala in Messina, completed in 1479.

Another significant figure was Giovanni Battista Ruta, a 17th-century Italian architect and engineer who worked extensively in the Kingdom of Naples. He was born in 1668 and is renowned for his contributions to the restoration and reconstruction of several significant buildings in Naples following the devastating earthquake of 1688.

In more recent history, one of the most prominent individuals with the Ruta surname was Vincenzo Ruta, an Italian politician and lawyer. Born in 1875 in the town of Campobasso, he served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a crucial role in the drafting of the Italian Civil Code of 1942.

The Ruta surname has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Spain and France, although its origins can be traced back to Italy. The name may have been carried by Italian immigrants or families who settled in these regions over the centuries.

While the Ruta surname is not among the most common surnames in Italy today, it continues to hold a place in the country's rich cultural heritage, reflecting the diverse geographical and historical influences that have shaped the Italian peninsula over many centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruta

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

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

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

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