Explore the Family Name Ruggiero
The meaning of Ruggiero
Italian: from the ancient Germanic personal name Ruggiero, composed of the elements hrōd ‘fame, renown’ + gār, gēr ‘spear, lance’. See English Roger. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Antonio, Carmine, Rocco, Vito, Donato, Pasquale, Sal, Vincenzo, Aniello, Carlo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ruggiero in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ruggiero has seen a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ruggiero was ranked 3583 in terms of popularity, but this rank decreased by 6.75% to 3825 in 2010. Despite this fall in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Ruggiero surname increased marginally from 9111 in 2000 to 9263 in 2010, a growth of 1.67%. However, as a proportion of the population per 100,000 people, the occurrence of the surname Ruggiero saw a decrease of 7.1%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,583 | #3,825 | -6.75% |
| Count | 9,111 | 9,263 | 1.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.38 | 3.14 | -7.1% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruggiero
The Decennial U.S. Census also shed light on the ethnic identity associated with the Ruggiero surname. Over the span of ten years, from 2000 to 2010, there was a notable increase in the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders and those of two or more races bearing the Ruggiero surname, with a change of 258.33% and 27.03%, respectively. The majority of those with the Ruggiero surname identified as White, accounting for 95.86% in 2000 and slightly declining to 94.96% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic presence within the Ruggiero surname holders grew by 15.20%. The percentages of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity saw a minor increase and decrease respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.86% | 94.96% | -0.94% |
| Hispanic | 2.96% | 3.41% | 15.2% |
| Two or More Races | 0.74% | 0.94% | 27.03% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.12% | 0.43% | 258.33% |
| Black | 0.15% | 0.16% | 6.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.16% | 0.1% | -37.5% |
Ruggiero 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 Ruggiero is Italian, which comprises 43.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.2%) and French & German (10.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Greek & Balkan, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 43.5% |
| British & Irish | 24.2% |
| French & German | 10.8% |
| Other | 21.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Ruggiero
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 Ruggiero have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Campania, Italy | 67.30% |
| Sicily, Italy | 67.30% |
| Calabria, Italy | 65.10% |
| Apulia, Italy | 60.20% |
| Abruzzo, Italy | 58.40% |
What Ruggiero 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 Ruggiero is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and J-M67, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Marino, Russo, Gentile, Michel, Romano, Hoffman, Pinto, Snyder, Snider, Costa.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ruggiero surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Ruggiero 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.
"Ruggiero" Surname 34.0%
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.
"Ruggiero" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ruggiero" Surname 22.8%
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.
"Ruggiero" Surname 13.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ruggiero?
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 Ruggiero are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition