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Ruffin Family History

Ruffin Name Meaning

English and French: from the Old French personal name Ruffin from Latin Rufinus a diminutive of Rufus ‘red’ borne by several early Christian saints including a 3rd-century martyr of Soissons and a 4th-century Church Father. Compare Ruffo . English: nickname from Middle English ruffine (Old French rufin) ‘reddish’ for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. English: possibly also a nickname from Middle English ruffin ‘fiend devil’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Ruffino, Ruffo, Duffin, Buffin, Austin, Griffin, Coffin, Ruffing

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Ruffin family from?

You can see how Ruffin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruffin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruffin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 22 Ruffin families living in Virginia. This was about 34% of all the recorded Ruffin's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Ruffin families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruffin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Ruffin ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ruffin. 34% of Ruffin men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Ruffin women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruffin were Farm Laborer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Ruffin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    34%
  • Farmer
    21%
  • Porter
    3%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    12%
  • Maid
    12%
  • Cook
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ruffin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Ruffin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ruffin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ruffin

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruffin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Ruffin. For the veterans among your Ruffin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Ruffin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ruffin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Ruffin in 1940 was 59, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruffin

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