Surname Ruffe - Meaning and Origin
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Ruffe: What does the surname Ruffe mean?
The last name Ruffe is believed to have originated from Northern England and Scotland. This surname is primarily found in families of British descent. The name Ruffe is considered to be a topographic surname, which is a type of surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Thus, in the context of Ruffe, it is thought to have derived from an Old English term 'Rof' or 'roof', and it could have possibly been assigned to an individual living in a dwelling or area distinguished by a particular type of roofing or it could have even been given to a person who worked as a roofer. Like many surnames, the spelling evolved over time, and variations of the name Ruffe include Ruff, Roufe, and Rufe. However, it's essential to note that meanings can depart from their original roots with migration and language evolution; the surname's precise meaning might not be the same today as it was centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisRuffe: Where does the name Ruffe come from?
The last name Ruffe is most commonly found today in the United States and Australia. In the United States, there are about 2,000 people with this last name, mostly located in New York, California, Texas, and Florida. In Australia, a larger population of Ruffes exists with more than 7,000 individuals living in major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.
The ancestry of the Ruffe family is believed to be of Germanic origins, likely from the region near the Rhine River and Northern France. German immigrant families of the 1700s are thought to be the earliest ancestors of the name. This family is also believed to have served in colonial British military units, possibly working as mercenaries.
The meaning of the Ruffe surname is not definitively known. Some suggest that it may have originated as a nickname for those with red hair, while others suggest it to have originated as a short form of the name, “Durff”. This was derived from the Germanic word “durf”, or “dourf”, meaning bold and brave.
The Ruffe family continues to live mostly in the countries of origin, though smaller populations have made their way to other countries around the world. Those with the name proudly carry their ancestral name and boast its longstanding history.
Variations of the surname Ruffe
Rufe is a surname of Germanic origin. It is a spelling variant of the name Ruffe, which is an old Germanic given name derived from the Old Germanic words ‘ruf’ and ‘wolf’, which mean “red wolf”. It is also the variant spelling of the Germanic surname Rüff.
The primary variant spelling of the surname Ruffe is Rufe. Other possible variant spellings include Raff, Raffe, Rauf, Raufe, Roffe, Rouff, Rüff, or Ruff.
Ruffe may also have been Anglicized as Ruf or Ruff, and in Ireland, it may have been further anglicized as Rough.
Surnames of the same origin include Rauff, Raux, Rauffs, Roufs, Roufsin, Rufus, Ruffles, Ruffenus, Ruffner, Ridolf, Rajeff, Ruffen, Rufton, Rufin, Ros, Ross, and Rossi.
In some cases, Ruffe may have been changed to other forms such as Ruffet, Ruffey, Ruffleside, Ruffledge, and Ruffell.
The surname Ruffe is also sometimes rendered as Rupf, Rupp, Ralf or Rulf. Some forms of this surname may also be found as Ruppe, Ruppin, Rupfer, Ruppel or Ruppert.
The nickname form of Ruffe is Ruffie. This is an English pet form of the name, derived from the Old Germanic compound word ‘Hruf-Wolf’.
In conclusion, Ruffe is a Germanic surname of multiple variant spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of the variant spellings and surnames of the same origin include Rufe, Raff, Raffe, Rauf, Raufe, Roffe, Rouff, Rüff, Ruff, Rauff, Raux, Rauffs, Roufs, Roufsin, Rufus, Ruffles, Ruffenus, Ruffner, Ridolf, Rajeff, Ruffen, Rufton, Rufin, Ros, Ross, Rossi, Ruffet, Ruffey, Ruffleside, Ruffledge, Ruffell, Rupf, Rupp, Ralf, Rulf, Ruppe, Ruppin, Rupfer, Ruppel, Ruppert, and Ruffie.
Famous people with the name Ruffe
- Alec Ruffe: Professional hockey player in Switzerland who played for HC Ajoie, Lausanne, and SC Langenthal.
- Hans Ruffe: Former Austrian ice hockey forward.
- Dave Ruffe: Former American professional baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1970s.
- Johan Ruffe: Former Swedish racing cyclist who won the National Road Race Championship in 1979.
- Wessel Ruffe: Former Dutch professional cyclist who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and finished 12th.
- Sebastian Ruffe: Spanish professional footballer who plays for UD Las Palmas.
- Tim Ruffe: Former professional American football player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Lions.
- Fabien Ruffe: French professional footballer who plays for FC Lorient.
- Tom Ruffe: Long-distance runner from Finland who represented his country in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
- Mark Ruffe: American independent film producer best known for his films, including "The Tooth and the Nail" and "Ping Pong Playa".
- John Ruffe: American country music singer-songwriter and musician best known for his single "Just for the Record".
- Christian Ruffe: German actor and television presenter best known for his appearances on the series "Hinter Gittern: Der Frauenknast" and "Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten".