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Ruff Family History

Ruff Name Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English rough rowe ruwe ‘rough (haired) shaggy disheveled’. English (of Norman origin): perhaps a post-medieval spelling of Roff or Roof ; see Rolfe . Scottish: perhaps a Scots pronunciation of Rock . German: variant of Ruf .

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


Similar surnames: Roff, Buff, Muff, Raff, Rufe, Tuff, Riff, Cuff, Luff, Ruef

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Ruff family from?

You can see how Ruff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 30 Ruff families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 23% of all the recorded Ruff's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Ruff families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Ruff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ruff. 20% of Ruff men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Ruff women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruff were Clerk and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Ruff | 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

  • Farmer
    20%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ruff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 87,000 census records available for the last name Ruff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ruff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ruff

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruff. 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 16,000 military records available for the last name Ruff. For the veterans among your Ruff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ruff military records

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What is the average Ruff lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ruff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Ruff in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruff

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