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Ruan Family History

Ruan Surname Meaning

Irish and Scottish: variant of Ruane. Spanish (Ruán): nickname from ruán ‘roan’ (a color of horses) a variant of Ruano.

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 阮 denoting a type of traditional Chinese musical instrument: (i) from Ruan (阮) the name of a small ancient state located in Jingchuang part of Gansu province during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

(ii) from the surname 石 (see Shi).

Some early bearers of the surname 石 (Shi) changed it to Ruan (阮).

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


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Where is the Ruan family from?

You can see how Ruan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 18 Ruan families living in Lancashire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Ruan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Ruan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ruan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer Heavy Worker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ruan. 60% of Ruan men worked as a General Labourer Heavy Worker and 64% of Ruan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruan were General Labourer and Retired Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Ruan | 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 1939

  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    60%
  • General Labourer
    40%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    19%
  • Retired Unpaid Domestic Duties
    19%

What Ruan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Ruan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ruan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ruan

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ruan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 847 military records available for the last name Ruan. For the veterans among your Ruan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ruan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ruan family history

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What is the average Ruan lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2004, in the United States, Ruan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Ruan in 1968 was 84, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ruan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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