Rudock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Rudock is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived near a ridge. Also, some examples of the name are of nickname derivation. This makes Rudock a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. The local variant of the surname is derived from the Old English word hrycg, which means ridge. In Old English, thish word became rugge, regge, and rigge in various dialects of the language. The surname Rudock is derived from the rugge variant of the word. The nickname variant is derived from the Anglo French word rugge (rouge in Modern French) which means red, and would have been the nickname of someone with brilliant red hair.

Early Origins of the Rudock family

The surname Rudock was first found in Shropshire at Rudge, a township, in the parish of Pattingham. "The surname is doubtless derived from a township in Shropshire so called. " 1 The place name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rigge 2 and was derived from the Old English word "hrycg" which means "place at the ridge." 3 There are few other places named Rudge in Britain, specifically in the counties Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset and all are very small locals and have remained small through the centuries. An early member of the family was John de Rugge, of Seysdon, Staffordshire who was living, 17 Edward II.

Early History of the Rudock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rudock research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Rudock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rudock Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rudock family name include Rudge, Ruidge, Roidge, Rutdge, Rutge, Rudych, Rutch, Rutche, Ruitge and many more.

Early Notables of the Rudock family

More information is included under the topic Early Rudock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rudock family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Rudock surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Joe Rudge, who settled in Barbados in 1635; Thomas Rudge, who settled in New York in 1679; as well as George and John Rudge, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1820..

The Rudock Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In cruce fides
Motto Translation: Faith in the cross.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)