Rudiger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales

The name Rudiger is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Rudyard, Staffordshire. The place-name Rudyard means "yard where rue was grown" derived from the Old English words rude + geard. 1

Rue is a perennial evergreen shrub common in Europe with yellow flowers. The plant is psychoactive; the leaves of the shrub were used as a stimulant in the Middle Ages. The leaves were noted for their strong smell and bitter taste.

Early Origins of the Rudiger family

The surname Rudiger was first found in Staffordshire at Rudyard, a small village west of Leek on the shores of Rudyard Lake. The lake is quite recent, built in 1797 by the engineer John Rennie, for the Trent and Mersey Canal company. 2

But the placename dates back to at least 1002 when it was listed as Rudegeard, yet a few years later it was listed as Rudierd in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 At that time, it was part of the Pirehill Hundred and owned by the King. 3

William de Rodyard, de Rodiard, or de Rudyard (c.1275- c. 1349) was an English-born juristy and cleric. He held office as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. He was also Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, and briefly Deputy Lord Treasurer of Ireland. He was the first Chancellor of the Medieval University of Dublin. He is generally thought ot have been born in Rudyard, Staffordshire.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the famous English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist was born in India but his parents named their son after the village.

Early History of the Rudiger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rudiger research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1030, 1066, 1572, 1620, 1621, 1630, 1640, 1648, 1658, 1682, 1683 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Rudiger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rudiger Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Rudiger has been spelled many different ways, including Rudyard, Rudgard, Rudyer and others.

Early Notables of the Rudiger family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Benjamin Rudyerd (Rudyard) (1572-1658), an English poet and politician, sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1648, one of the incorporators of the Providence Company (1630)...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rudiger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rudiger migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Rudigers to arrive in North America:

Rudiger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Rudiger, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 4
Helen Rudiger, aged 23, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 4
Abraham Rudiger, aged 32, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 4
Andrea Rudiger, aged 20, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 4
David Rudiger, aged 24, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1875 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rudiger (post 1700) +

Lars Rüdiger (1996-2020), German diver, he won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he won a bronze medal at the 2018 European Aquatics Championships

Historic Events for the Rudiger family +

Hindenburg LZ-129

Dr. Kurt Rüdiger (1915-1937), German Ship's Doctor from Berman, Germany, who worked on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/