Explore the Family Name Ruff
The meaning of Ruff
1. English: nickname from Middle English rough, rowe, ruwe ‘rough (haired), shaggy, disheveled’. 2. English (of Norman origin): perhaps a post-medieval spelling of Roff or Roof; see Rolfe. 3. Scottish: perhaps a Scots pronunciation of Rock. 4. German: variant of Ruf.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ruff in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ruff mildly decreased between 2000 and 2010. While its rank dropped by 6.71% from 2,220th to 2369th most common surname in the U.S., the actual number of people with this surname modestly increased by 2.31%, from 15,035 to 15,383 individuals. However, the proportion of individuals named Ruff per 100,000 inhabitants also declined by approximately 6.46%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,220 | #2,369 | -6.71% |
| Count | 15,035 | 15,383 | 2.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.57 | 5.21 | -6.46% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruff
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Ruff, changes were observed between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Two or More Races increased by 54.05% and 33.80% respectively. Further, there was a notable increase of 60.61% in individuals identifying as Hispanic. On the other hand, those who identified as White reflected a decrease of 3.79%. Black individuals bearing the surname saw a rise of 6.35%, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced a growth of 12.20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.52% | 72.66% | -3.79% |
| Black | 20.96% | 22.29% | 6.35% |
| Hispanic | 1.32% | 2.12% | 60.61% |
| Two or More Races | 1.42% | 1.9% | 33.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.57% | 54.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0.46% | 12.2% |
Ruff ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ruff is British & Irish, which comprises 39.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.6%) and Scandinavian (6.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 39.9% |
| French & German | 30.6% |
| Scandinavian | 6.1% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Ruff
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ruff have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 77.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 76.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 75.80% |
What Ruff haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ruff is R-S14328, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S14328 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wilkinson, Munson, Arnold, Noel, Mathews, Heller, Travis, Bowers, Beck, Baker.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ruff surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ruff have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ruff" Surname 43.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ruff" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ruff" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ruff" Surname 13.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ruff?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ruff are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition