Ruffner History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Ruffner was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman given name Rudolph. Early Origins of the Ruffner familyThe surname Ruffner 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 Ruffner familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruffner research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1297, 1332, 1510, 1521 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Ruffner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ruffner Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Roffe, Rolfe, Rolph, Roalph, Roff, Ruff, Rouf and others. Early Notables of the Ruffner familyOutstanding 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... Ruffner RankingIn the United States, the name Ruffner is the 8,105th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Ruffner or a variant listed above were: Ruffner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
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