The Ruggles surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,228 people carried this name — #6,494 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 56,500 people counted. That is up 2% from 5,124 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Ruggles surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Rudge as a diminutive of the given name Roger + patronymic suffix -s.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ruggles» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

59 families named Ruggles, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 353 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 35
Connecticut 18
Vermont 3
Pennsylvania 2
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 260 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Ruggles in American newspapers,
1892–1912.

Newspaper page from The North Platte Semi-weekly Tribune carrying the name Ruggles
The North Platte Semi-weekly Tribune 1912-12-11
Newspaper page from Dziennik Chicagoski carrying the name Ruggles
Dziennik Chicagoski 1892-06-21
Newspaper page from Baraboo Weekly News carrying the name Ruggles
Baraboo Weekly News 1912-02-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 67,249 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ruggles in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1980s.

798 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ruggles. The most, 233, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 343
Victoria 207
Queensland 91
South Australia 72
Western Australia 49
Tasmania 16
ACT (Canberra) 12

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ruggles.

Who carried it

People named Ruggles,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ellen Vanderpoel McCoy Ruggles
    Ellen Vanderpoel McCoy Ruggles d. 1865
  • Philo Ruggles
    Philo Ruggles 1765–1829 · writer
  • Benjamin Ruggles
    Benjamin Ruggles 1783–1857 · judge
  • Timothy Ruggles 1685–1768
  • Mary Ruggles 1688–1749
  • Mercy Humphrey 1697–1761

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ruggles,
in the records of 4 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States428 records

428 records of the Ruggles name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 163
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 106
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 68
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 33
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 30
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 20
  • Sacramento County historic burials 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Larry Dean Ruggles

    Born 1942; from Springfield, Ohio. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Lenard E. Ruggles

    Born 1918. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Dix, New Jersey; stock clerk from Atlantic County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1944, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ed. Ruggles

    Arrived at New York in 1864 aboard the Hansa from Bremen and Southampton, aged 30; teacher. From Dresden, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 428 records for Ruggles in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada433 records

433 records of the Ruggles name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 413
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 7
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Hester Ruggles

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ranger, bound for Annapolis Royal, aged 7.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Walter Ruggles

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the N. Scotian, bound for Bracebridge, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Audrey C. Ruggles

    Buried in 1943 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 18.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 433 records for Ruggles in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia18 records

18 records of the Ruggles name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 12
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Ruggles

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the George III, sailing from Woolwich in 1834.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Ruggles

    Arrived in Victoria in 1912 aboard the Kaikoura, aged 17.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Leura Olivia Ruggles

    Of Derrinallum, Victoria; died 1994.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Ruggles in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Ruggles name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. J. Ruggles

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Ruggles

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. F. Ruggles

    Gunner, Army Service Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ruggles.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Ruggles is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Ruggles volume
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