Explore the Family Name Ruddell
The meaning of Ruddell
1. English: habitational name from Ruddle in Newnham (Gloucestershire) or Rudhall in Ross (Herefordshire). The Gloucestershire placename may derive from Old English hrēod ‘reed’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’, though an error due to confusion with the Gloucestershire placename Rodley may mean that the second element comes from Old English hyll ‘hill’. The Herefordshire placename derives from Old English halh ‘nook, corner of land’ with an uncertain first element, perhaps the Old English plant-name rūde ‘rue’ or Middle English rud ‘marigold’. 2. English: nickname from a diminutive of Middle English rud(de) ‘red’. Compare Rudd. 3. English and Irish (Armagh): variant of Riddell. 4. Probably also an altered form of German Rüdel (see Rudel).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ruddell in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ruddell has experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 18,781st most common surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 19,567th position, marking a small decline of 4.19%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the Ruddell surname grew slightly from 1,349 in 2000 to 1,379 in 2010, an increase of 2.22%. However, when looking at the proportion per 100k people, there was a slight decline of 6% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,781 | #19,567 | -4.19% |
| Count | 1,349 | 1,379 | 2.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.5 | 0.47 | -6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruddell
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides information about the ethnic identity of individuals with the Ruddell surname. Between 2000 and 2010, there were shifts in the reported ethnicity for this surname. The largest group remained those identifying as White, though their percentage dropped slightly from 94.96% to 93.76%. Individuals identifying as Hispanic showed the most significant growth, doubling from 2% to 4.06%. Those reporting as Black or two or more races both saw decreases, while the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively steady with a small increase from 0 to 0.51%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.96% | 93.76% | -1.26% |
| Hispanic | 2% | 4.06% | 103% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 0.73% | -53.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.51% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.51% | 0% |
| Black | 0.74% | 0.44% | -40.54% |