Ruff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


Ruff is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Ruff is a name that comes from the Norman given name Rudolph.

Early Origins of the Ruff family

The surname Ruff was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times, soon after the Norman Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Ruff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruff research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1297, 1332, 1510, 1521 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Ruff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruff Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Roffe, Rolfe, Rolph, Roalph, Roff, Ruff, Rouf and others.

Early Notables of the Ruff 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 Ruff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruff Ranking

In the United States, the name Ruff is the 2,036th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1


Ruff migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Ruff name or one of its variants:

Ruff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Ruff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Ruff Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ruff migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ruff Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Ruff migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ruff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruff (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Ruff +
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