NameCensus.

UK surname

Ruiz

A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "rufus," meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned."

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Ruiz surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 735, ranked #7,416, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ruiz is 737 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24400.0%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

735

2016, ranked #7,416

Peak year

2014

737 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ruiz had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016, ranked #7,416.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 21 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Ruiz surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ruiz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ruiz 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 9 #33,451
1901 historical 6 #33,591
1911 historical 21 #31,179
1997 modern 357 #11,998
1998 modern 387 #11,640
1999 modern 409 #11,264
2000 modern 423 #10,941
2001 modern 399 #11,252
2002 modern 432 #10,801
2003 modern 444 #10,393
2004 modern 465 #10,046
2005 modern 465 #9,958
2006 modern 486 #9,675
2007 modern 506 #9,482
2008 modern 554 #8,911
2009 modern 603 #8,569
2010 modern 660 #8,142
2011 modern 647 #8,183
2012 modern 647 #8,103
2013 modern 679 #7,929
2014 modern 737 #7,486
2015 modern 716 #7,591
2016 modern 735 #7,416

Geography

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Where Ruiz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Wandsworth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Westminster 020 Westminster
3 Hammersmith and Fulham 001 Hammersmith and Fulham
4 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Wandsworth 002 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ruiz

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ruiz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ruiz, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Ruiz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Ruiz 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ruiz is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ruiz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ruiz falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ruiz 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Ruiz

The surname Ruiz has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 8th century when the Iberian Peninsula was under Moorish rule. It is derived from the Spanish word "Ruy," which is a variant of the Germanic name Roderic or Rodrigo. The name Ruy was relatively common among Christians living in areas controlled by the Moors.

During the Reconquista, as Christian territories were gradually reclaimed from the Moors, the name Ruiz emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Ruy." It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Castile, Aragon, and Navarre. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in medieval documents from the 10th and 11th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Ruiz was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid, a Castilian nobleman and military leader who lived from 1043 to 1099. He played a crucial role in the reconquest of Valencia from the Moors and has been celebrated in numerous literary works, including the epic poem "El Cantar de Mío Cid."

Another notable figure was Hernán Ruiz de Alarcón, a Spanish architect and sculptor born in 1492. He was responsible for designing and constructing several significant Renaissance buildings in Seville, including the Casa de Contratación and the iconic Giralda bell tower of the Seville Cathedral.

Juan Ruiz, also known as the Arcipreste de Hita, was a 14th-century Spanish poet and cleric renowned for his satirical and didactic work "Libro de Buen Amor" (Book of Good Love). Born around 1283, he is considered one of the most influential poets of the medieval period in Spain.

Francisco Ruiz de Velasco, born in 1589, was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1648 to 1653. He played a significant role in the governance of the Spanish colonial territories in the Americas.

In the 19th century, Juan Ruiz de Apodaca (1754-1835) was a Spanish naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the viceroy of New Spain from 1816 to 1821, a turbulent period marked by the Mexican War of Independence.

The surname Ruiz has been widely dispersed throughout the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in Latin American countries with strong historical ties to Spain, such as Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Argentina.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ruiz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ruiz 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. Lancashire leads with 2 Ruiz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2 4.34x
Middlesex 1 2.57x
Royal Navy 1 217.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aighton Bailey in Lancashire leads with 1 Ruiz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Aighton Bailey 1 5000.00x
Bow London 1 204.08x
Liverpool 1 35.71x

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1
Lino 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ruiz households.

Occupation Count
Consul (...) 1

FAQ

Ruiz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ruiz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Ruiz surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ruiz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016. That gives Ruiz a modern rank of #7,416.

What does the Ruiz surname mean?

A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "rufus," meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned."

What does the Ruiz map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ruiz 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.