Ruhl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German surname Ruhl 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 Ruhl 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 Ruhl family

The surname Ruhl 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 Ruhl family

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

Ruhl 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 Ruhl 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...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruhl Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruhl Ranking

In the United States, the name Ruhl is the 7,459^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Ruhl migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ruhl Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicolaus Ruhl, who sailed to New York in 1710
Peter Ruhl, aged 45, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 2
Georg Philip Ruhl, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 2
Johannes Ruhl, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Johan Peter Ruhl, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ruhl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Philipp Ruhl, who landed in America in 1833 2
Christian Ruhl, who landed in America in 1833 2
Nicolas Ruhl, aged 28, who landed in Missouri in 1840 2
John Gottlob Ruhl, who arrived in Missouri in 1845 2
Mr. Jacob Ruhl, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Hamilton"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruhl (post 1700) +

Sarah Ruhl (b. 1974), American playwright, recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship
J. B. Ruhl, American legal academic specializing in environmental law
William Ruhl, American politician, Candidate for village President of Franklin Park, Illinois, 2009 3
John L. Ruhl, American politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 12th District, 1914 3
John Ruhl, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1884 3
Private First Class Donald Jack Ruhl (1923-1945), United States Marine and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor in 1945
Michel Ruhl (1934-2022), French actor, known for playing the voices of James Cromwell, Scott Wilson, and Terence Stamp
Dave Ruhl (1920-1988), Canadian professional wrestler

Historic Events for the Ruhl family +

Bismarck

Karl Ruhl (1917-1941), German Maschinenmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details