Ruh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancestral home of the Ruh family is in the German province of Bavaria. Ruh is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute. It is a name for a shaggy or unkempt person, stemming from the German word "rauch," meaning "rough, hairy." As with many early names such as this, the reference was often in jest. More likely, the origin is in reference to the smoke generated by smithies and thereby would be a trade name. The name was translated to English when the first settlers immigrated to North America, giving rise to such variations as "Smoak" or "Smoke."

Early Origins of the Ruh family

The surname Ruh was first found in Bavaria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. Literally, the name refers to the smoke generated by smithies. For instance, a smith in Zurich was known as "Meister Roeuchli," literally "Mister Smoke," around 1468. The various branches of the Rauch and Raeuchlin families declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region.

Early History of the Ruh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruh research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1522, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1808 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Ruh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruh Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Ruh include Raucher, Rauche, Raeuchlin, Reuchlin, Raeuchle, Rauck, Raucker, Raucke, Rauk, Rauker, Rauke, Smoak, Smoke, Ruch and many more.

Early Notables of the Ruh family

Prominent among members of the name Ruh in this period include Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522), who was, together with his friend Erasmus, the driving force behind the German Renaissance. He began as a lawyer in the service of the Duke of Wuerttemberg, became a judge of...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruh migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Ruh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Friedrich Ruh, who arrived in Ohio in 1833 1
Z Ruh, aged 19, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 1
Eva Kath Ruh, aged 11, who landed in America in 1854 1
Gertraud Ruh, aged 25, who landed in America in 1854 1
Johs Ruh, aged 56, who landed in America in 1854 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruh (post 1700) +

Charles F. Ruh, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1866 2
The Very Reverend Philip Ruh O.M.I. (1883-1962), German Roman Catholic priest and church architect
Anna Rüh (b. 1993), German discus thrower
Lucinda Martha Ruh (b. 1979), Swiss national figure skating champion

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html