| ![Show Contents]() Ruley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Germany The German surname Ruley emerged in the lands that formed the modern state of Lower Saxony, which is presently bordered by the North Sea, the Hartz mountains and the Elbe and Ems rivers.German surnames developed at a time when most of Lower Saxony, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to more clearly identify themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Lower Saxony. Two of the common types of family names found in Prussia are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Ruley derived from the given name Rudolf. The name Ruehle was adopted by a town near Meppen and Holzmunden in East Friesland near the Dutch border. Early Origins of the Ruley familyThe surname Ruley was first found in East Friesland, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. The name is thought to have originated as a short form of Rudolf. A town near Meppen and Holzmunden in East Friesland took on the name Ruehle, and this region near the Dutch border is probably the place of origin for many of the branches bearing this name. Early History of the Ruley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruley research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1743, 1761, 1789 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Ruley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ruley Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Ruhle, Ruhler, Ruehle, Ruhle, Ruehler, Ruele, Ruelle, Ruhl, Rule, Rulle, Ruler, Ruller, Roul, Rool, Roole, Rooler, Roohler, Roohle, Ruel, Ruehle and many more. Early Notables of the Ruley familyNotables of the time included Jacob Ruehle, the father of the above mention brothers Johann and Georg, who was a Doctor of Law and mayor of the city Koenigsberg in East Prussia. Other prominent descendents of this line include Jacob Heinrich Ruehle (d.1789) who became a Senator of Frankfurt...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ruley RankingIn the United States, the name Ruley is the 18,470th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 Migration of the Ruley familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: J.P. Ruehl, who sailed to America in 1709. Among the many family members to follow this first settler were: Nicolaus Ruhl, who sailed to New York in 1710.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ruley (post 1700) | + |
- Ellis Walter Ruley (1882-1959), American folk artist and laborer from Norwich, Connecticut
- Amy Ruley (b. 1955), American former women's head basketball coach at North Dakota State University, inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004
- Mary Etta Ruley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2008 2
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