Rufe is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Rufe family when they emigrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Rufe comes from the Norman given name Rudolph.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rufe research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1297, 1332, 1510, 1521 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Rufe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rufe Spelling Variations
Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rufe were recorded, including Roffe, Rolfe, Rolph, Roalph, Roff, Ruff, Rouf and others.
Early Notables of the Rufe family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Rough (died 1557), Scottish Protestant martyr, is stated to have been born in 1510, but as he was incorporated in St. Leonard's College in the university of St. Andrews in 1521. He was a close friend of John Knox and was soon summoned before Winram, the vicar-general of St. Andrews. Rough managed... Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rufe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rufe family
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Rufe arrived in North America very early: James Rolfe and his wife Elizabeth Rolfe, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 with their son; Barbary Rofe who settled in New England in 1635; William Rofe, who arrived in Barbados in 1635.
England
