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Ruddy Family History

Ruddy Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a person with a ruddy complexion from Middle English rudi ‘ruddy’ (see Rudd).

English: habitational name from a lost or as yet unidentified place perhaps in the West Midlands.

Irish: from Ó Rodaigh see Roddy.

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


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Where is the Ruddy family from?

You can see how Ruddy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruddy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruddy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 131 Ruddy families living in Lancashire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Ruddy's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Ruddy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruddy 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 Ruddy ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ruddy. 21% of Ruddy men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Ruddy women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruddy were Bricklayer and Domestic Duties Unpaid.

View Census Data for Ruddy | 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
    21%
  • Builders Labourer
    17%
  • General Labourer Heavy
    10%
  • Bricklayer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    3%

What Ruddy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Ruddy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ruddy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ruddy

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruddy. 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 Ruddy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Ruddy. For the veterans among your Ruddy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ruddy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ruddy family history

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What is the average Ruddy lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Ruddy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Ruddy in 1945 was 36, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruddy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ruddy 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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