NameCensus.

UK surname

Ruthven

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "mountain torrent" or "stream valley".

In the 1881 census there were 383 people recorded with the Ruthven surname, ranking it #8,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 628, ranked #8,401, down from #8,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Borthwick and Selkirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Boswells and Newtown Area, Corby and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ruthven is 640 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.0%.

1881 census count

383

Ranked #8,212

Modern count

628

2016, ranked #8,401

Peak year

2010

640 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ruthven had 383 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 628 in 2016, ranked #8,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 491 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Ruthven surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ruthven surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ruthven 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 383 #8,212
1891 historical 491 #7,536
1901 historical 467 #8,471
1911 historical 221 #14,044
1997 modern 581 #8,331
1998 modern 604 #8,357
1999 modern 596 #8,475
2000 modern 599 #8,435
2001 modern 582 #8,461
2002 modern 601 #8,453
2003 modern 594 #8,391
2004 modern 584 #8,508
2005 modern 577 #8,506
2006 modern 588 #8,406
2007 modern 602 #8,331
2008 modern 600 #8,417
2009 modern 630 #8,271
2010 modern 640 #8,351
2011 modern 621 #8,458
2012 modern 599 #8,618
2013 modern 617 #8,548
2014 modern 630 #8,453
2015 modern 632 #8,380
2016 modern 628 #8,401

Geography

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Where Ruthvens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Borthwick, Selkirk, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Boswells and Newtown Area, Corby, Breckland, Scone and Carluke North. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Borthwick Edinburgh
3 Selkirk Selkirk
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Boswells and Newtown Area Scottish Borders
2 Corby 006 Corby
3 Breckland 014 Breckland
4 Scone Perth and Kinross
5 Carluke North South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ruthven

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ruthven

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Ruthven surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Ruthven household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ruthven is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ruthven is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ruthven falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ruthven 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 Ruthven, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ruthven

The surname Ruthven originated in Scotland, specifically in the region of Perthshire. It is derived from the Gaelic words "ruadh" meaning "red" and "abhuinn" meaning "river," referring to the reddish color of the River Earn. The name can be traced back to the 12th century.

The earliest known record of the Ruthven name appears in the 13th century, when Sir Walter de Ruthven was granted lands in Perthshire by King Alexander II of Scotland. This established the Ruthven family as landowners and nobles in the region.

One of the most notable figures bearing the Ruthven name was William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie (1543-1584). He was a Scottish nobleman and a key figure in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. He played a significant role in the overthrow of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was later executed for his involvement in the Raid of Ruthven, a conspiracy aimed at seizing power from the Earl of Arran, who was then the regent of Scotland.

Another prominent Ruthven was John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie (1578-1600), who was implicated in the mysterious Gowrie Conspiracy against King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). The details of this alleged plot remain unclear, but it resulted in Gowrie's death and the forfeiture of the family's lands and titles.

In the 17th century, Patrick Ruthven (1573-1651), a Scottish soldier and diplomat, served as the Governor of Edinburgh Castle and played a crucial role in the Scottish Reformation.

The Ruthven name also appears in literary works, such as Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Abbot" (1820), which features a character named Roland Graeme, a fictitious descendant of the Ruthven family.

The variant spellings of the name include Rivven, Rothen, Rothene, and Rothven. The place name Ruthven was also used for various locations in Scotland, such as Ruthven Castle in Perthshire and the village of Ruthven in Badenoch and Strathspey.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ruthven families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ruthven 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. Lanarkshire leads with 91 Ruthvens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.59x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 91 7.59x
Midlothian 71 14.30x
Middlesex 24 0.65x
Yorkshire 24 0.65x
Angus 22 6.41x
Lancashire 21 0.48x
Surrey 18 1.00x
Dunbartonshire 15 15.06x
West Lothian 12 21.50x
Selkirkshire 9 26.84x
Ayrshire 8 2.88x
Aberdeenshire 7 2.04x
Berwickshire 6 13.37x
Devon 5 0.65x
Dumfriesshire 5 6.11x
Suffolk 5 1.11x
Westmorland 5 6.14x
Essex 4 0.55x
Hampshire 4 0.53x
Northumberland 4 0.73x
Lincolnshire 3 0.51x
Peeblesshire 3 17.21x
Durham 2 0.18x
Radnorshire 2 6.69x
Roxburghshire 2 2.98x
Dorset 1 0.41x
East Lothian 1 2.04x
Fife 1 0.46x
Inverness-shire 1 0.90x
Kent 1 0.08x
Kinross-shire 1 10.67x
Stirlingshire 1 0.73x
Sussex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 43 Ruthvens recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.17x.

Place Total Index
Barony 43 14.17x
Cockpen 15 258.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 7.51x
Row 15 116.37x
Dundee 13 10.14x
Govan 11 3.71x
Hackney London 11 5.29x
Carnwath 10 134.95x
Maryhill 10 42.61x
Stow 10 392.16x
Battersea 9 6.60x
Borthwick 9 405.41x
Camberwell 9 3.80x
Cottingham 9 113.64x
Dalserf 9 75.25x
Pendleton In Salford 9 17.18x
Dalkeith 8 81.63x
Liff Benvie 8 15.35x
Kilwinning 7 78.13x
Kintore 7 234.90x
Carriden 6 237.15x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 51.06x
Glasgow 6 2.82x
Lauder 6 241.94x
Alwington 5 1041.67x
Dalton In Huddersfield 5 60.75x
Middlebie 5 203.25x
Southwold 5 187.27x
St George Hanover 5 10.33x
Stretford 5 20.66x
Galashiels 4 32.26x
Kendal 4 26.83x
Longbenton 4 17.12x
Selkirk 4 42.33x
Sheffield 4 3.42x
South Leith 4 7.16x
Tottington Higher End 4 79.84x
Bradford 3 3.37x
Folkingham 3 410.96x
Great Clacton 3 120.48x
Innerleithen 3 64.79x
Liberton 3 39.16x
Linlithgow 3 41.90x
Manningham 3 6.63x
Millbrook 3 15.68x
Queensferry 3 220.59x
Chiswick 2 9.88x
Gateshead 2 2.42x
Islington London 2 0.56x
Knighton 2 82.64x
Manchester 2 1.01x
Shoreditch London 2 1.24x
Westminster St James 2 5.25x
Biggar 1 36.90x
Duddingston 1 10.03x
Dunfermline 1 2.96x
Hawick 1 6.65x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 1 65.36x
Hunston 1 384.62x
Inverness 1 3.59x
Kettins 1 86.96x
Kilsyth 1 11.47x
Kinross 1 31.15x
Kirkton 1 238.10x
Largs 1 15.29x
Melrose 1 11.85x
New Monkland 1 2.82x
Pencaitland 1 71.43x
Portland 1 7.65x
Sevenoaks 1 9.76x
St Bartholomew Hyde 1 54.95x
Undermilbeck 1 37.17x
West Ham 1 0.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Agnes 4
Edith 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Caroline 2
Emily 2
Honor 2
Sarah 2
Sophia 2
Violet 2
Ada 1
Allice 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Cathe. 1
Cathrine 1
Dills 1
Edie 1
Eliza 1
Ella 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frederika 1
Gabella 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Margaret 1
Nancy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
George 5
John 4
Herbert 3
James 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Adolphus 2
Alfd. 2
Edward 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Christian 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
J.Fitzgerald 1
Malon 1
Morris 1
Patrick 1
Rd.H. 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Ruthven surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ruthven surname in 1881?

In 1881, 383 people were recorded with the Ruthven surname. That placed it at #8,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ruthven surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 628 in 2016. That gives Ruthven a modern rank of #8,401.

What does the Ruthven surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "mountain torrent" or "stream valley".

What does the Ruthven map show?

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