NameCensus.

UK surname

Ruggles

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rugs, blankets, or other coarse textiles.

In the 1881 census there were 259 people recorded with the Ruggles surname, ranking it #10,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 381, ranked #12,317, down from #10,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hedingham, Sible, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Coggeshall, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, Braintree and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ruggles is 442 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.1%.

1881 census count

259

Ranked #10,808

Modern count

381

2016, ranked #12,317

Peak year

1911

442 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ruggles had 259 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016, ranked #12,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ruggles surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ruggles surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ruggles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ruggles over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 192 #10,756
1861 historical 190 #12,520
1881 historical 259 #10,808
1891 historical 325 #10,426
1901 historical 387 #9,698
1911 historical 442 #8,625
1997 modern 384 #11,336
1998 modern 394 #11,474
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 379 #11,855
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 384 #11,794
2003 modern 383 #11,614
2004 modern 367 #12,028
2005 modern 339 #12,668
2006 modern 347 #12,515
2007 modern 352 #12,546
2008 modern 359 #12,459
2009 modern 367 #12,501
2010 modern 381 #12,436
2011 modern 378 #12,363
2012 modern 394 #11,854
2013 modern 385 #12,270
2014 modern 383 #12,390
2015 modern 385 #12,256
2016 modern 381 #12,317

Geography

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Where Ruggles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hedingham, Sible, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Coggeshall, Great, London parishes and Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, Braintree, Fenland and Broxbourne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hedingham, Sible Essex
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 Coggeshall, Great Essex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 008 Maldon
2 Braintree 001 Braintree
3 Fenland 006 Fenland
4 Braintree 008 Braintree
5 Broxbourne 005 Broxbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ruggles

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ruggles surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ruggles

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ruggles, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ruggles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ruggles household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Ruggles is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ruggles is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ruggles falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ruggles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ruggles, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ruggles

The surname Ruggles is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hrug" meaning ridge or hill, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. It is likely that the name originated as a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a ridge or hill in a clearing.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, and one of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1176, which mention a Richard de Ruggelea. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains references to places with similar spellings like "Ruggeleia" and "Ruggeley".

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as Ruggele, Ruggelee, and Ruggeleye, reflecting the different spellings used at the time. Some of the earliest recorded instances include Robert de Ruggeleye (1236) and William de Rugge (1275), both found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire.

The Ruggles surname was well-established in Staffordshire and Shropshire, where it is believed to have originated. Several places in these counties, like Rudge Heath and Rugeley, share a similar root with the surname, indicating a connection to the local geography.

Notable individuals with the surname Ruggles include:

1. Thomas Ruggles (1737-1823), an American lawyer and jurist who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention.

2. Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (1739-1819), an American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the first president of the Ohio University.

3. George Ruggles (1833-1904), an English-born American architect known for designing several prominent buildings in New York City, including Grace Church and the former Astor Library.

4. Samuel Battey Ruggles (1800-1881), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.

5. Edward Ruggles (1810-1880), an English-born American daguerreotypist and photographer, considered one of the pioneers of photography in the United States.

The surname Ruggles has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, and its connection to geographical features like ridges and clearings is reflected in its etymology. While the name has spread worldwide, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the counties of Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ruggles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ruggles surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Essex leads with 167 Ruggles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.36x.

County Total Index
Essex 167 33.36x
Middlesex 48 1.89x
Suffolk 16 5.18x
Durham 9 1.19x
Kent 8 0.92x
Staffordshire 3 0.35x
Yorkshire 3 0.12x
Berkshire 2 1.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.65x
Hampshire 1 0.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.12x
Norfolk 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toppesfield in Essex leads with 50 Ruggles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6666.67x.

Place Total Index
Toppesfield 50 6666.67x
Walthamstow 26 144.28x
Sible Hedingham 23 1377.25x
Fulham London 10 27.19x
Islington London 10 4.07x
Mountnessing 9 1184.21x
Stambourne 8 2105.26x
Tilbury 8 4000.00x
St George Hanover 7 21.15x
Ovington 6 5454.55x
Plumstead 6 20.80x
Poplar London 6 12.54x
Stockton On Tees 6 16.50x
Earls Colne 5 362.32x
Great Coggeshall 5 192.31x
Kensington London 5 3.55x
South Weald 5 116.55x
West Ham 5 4.52x
Ipswich St Clement 4 50.96x
Sudbury St Peter 4 236.69x
Castle Hedingham 3 333.33x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 5.87x
Esh 3 54.64x
Halstead 3 51.37x
Sudbury St Gregory 3 120.97x
Bures St Mary 2 425.53x
Colchester St Giles 2 40.40x
Ipswich St Peter 2 48.08x
Lowestoft 2 13.71x
New Windsor 2 31.25x
Norton Folgate London 2 240.96x
Stansted Mountfitchet 2 158.73x
Tipton 2 7.63x
Tottenham 2 4.95x
Aldershot 1 5.74x
Aylesbury 1 14.73x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 1 158.73x
Barony 1 0.48x
Bocking 1 33.22x
Canterbury St Mary 1 17.21x
Edmonton 1 4.89x
Lee 1 7.96x
Leyton 1 11.60x
Mile End Old Town 1 2.50x
Mundford 1 400.00x
Prittlewell 1 14.41x
Romford 1 12.64x
St Bartholomew Great 1 43.29x
St George In East 1 5.80x
St Marylebone London 1 0.74x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.10x
Stowmarket 1 28.01x
Whitechapel London 1 4.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ruggles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 9
Eliza 7
Sarah 7
Hannah 6
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Emily 4
Susannah 4
Alice 2
Anna 2
Annie 2
Betsy 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Angelnea 1
Anne 1
Balatin 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Christabel 1
Constance 1
Cordelia 1
Daisy 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Joel 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Lilly 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rebecca 1
Sance 1
Zilpah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ruggles surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 22
John 17
James 14
William 14
Arthur 8
Thomas 8
Henry 7
Harry 5
Albert 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Robert 3
Elijah 2
Ernest 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Allan 1
Alma 1
Anthony 1
Beatie 1
David 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jos. 1
Lewis 1
Melbourne 1
Robt. 1
Roger 1
Sam 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Victor 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Ruggles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ruggles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 259 people were recorded with the Ruggles surname. That placed it at #10,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ruggles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016. That gives Ruggles a modern rank of #12,317.

What does the Ruggles surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rugs, blankets, or other coarse textiles.

What does the Ruggles map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ruggles bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.