Show ContentsRuehl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German surname Ruehl 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 Ruehl 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 Ruehl family

The surname Ruehl 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 Ruehl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruehl research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1743, 1761, 1789 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Ruehl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruehl Spelling Variations

Spelling 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 Ruehl family

Notables 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 in 1761, and Conrad Friedrich Ruehle (d.1789), who was privy councillor to the Duke of...
  • Johann Jacob Friedrich Ruehle von Lilienstern (d.1847) was a Prussian lieutenant general who became famous as a military historian...


United States Ruehl migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ruehl Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • J. P. Ruehl, who sailed to America in 1709
  • Niclaus Ruehl, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 [1]
Ruehl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Johan Ruehl, who landed in Texas in 1846

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruehl (post 1700) +

  • Franklin Ruehl, American ufologist and cryptozoologist who has appeared on such shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Roseanne Show and Tom Green
  • Vincent Peter Ruehl (1947-2011), American-born, Australian newspaper columnist, brother of Mercedes J. Ruehl
  • Mercedes J. Ruehl (b. 1948), American Academy Award winning theater, television, and film actress


  1. 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)


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