The origins of the Rudie name lie with England's ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived near a ridge. Also, some examples of the name are of
nickname derivation. This makes Rudie 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 Rudie 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 Rudie family
The surname Rudie 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. The place name was listed in the
Domesday Book of 1086 as Rigge
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) and was derived from the Old English word "hrycg" which means "place at the ridge."
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) 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 Rudie family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rudie research.
Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Rudie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rudie Spelling Variations
Before the last few
hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations are commonly found in early
Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rudie were recorded, including Rudge, Ruidge, Roidge, Rutdge, Rutge, Rudych, Rutch, Rutche, Ruitge and many more.
Early Notables of the Rudie family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Rudie Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rudie family to the New World and Oceana
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from
England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Rudie family emigrate to North America: 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 Rudie 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.