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Ruggles Family History

Ruggles Surname Meaning

English (Essex): variant of the now extinct surname Ruggle with post-medieval excrescent -s. The origin of Ruggle is uncertain.

It could be a variant of the Suffolk and Essex name Ricold with voicing of /k/ to /g/ and the same vowel change as seen in Smoothy for Smithey (another Suffolk and Essex name) and in Puckering for Pickering.

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


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Where is the Ruggles family from?

You can see how Ruggles families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ruggles family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ruggles families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 202 Ruggles families living in Essex. This was about 58% of all the recorded Ruggles's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Ruggles families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ruggles 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 Ruggles ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmworker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ruggles. 16% of Ruggles men worked as a Farmworker and 75% of Ruggles women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ruggles were General Labourer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Ruggles | 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

  • Farmworker
    16%
  • Bricklayer
    13%
  • Registered Docker
    7%
  • General Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%

What Ruggles family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Ruggles

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Ruggles. 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 Ruggles immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Ruggles. For the veterans among your Ruggles ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ruggles military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ruggles family history

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What is the average Ruggles lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Ruggles life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Ruggles in 1941 was 56, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ruggles

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ruggles 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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