Surname Rugh - Meaning and Origin
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Rugh: What does the surname Rugh mean?
The surname Rugh is of Scottish origin and is derived from a geographical locality. The name is believed to stem from the Old Norse word "hroa", meaning a heap or pile, which corresponded to a natural hill or a man-made mound or barrow. The '-gh' ending indicates Scottish heritage. As with many surnames that originated from topographical features, it's likely that the name 'Rugh' was initially used to identify individuals who lived near, or were from, a distinctively shaped hill or mound. So, the Rugh surname likely traces back to those who lived in or near such a geographic feature in ancient Scotland. It is also worth noting that variations of this surname have developed over centuries and across regions, including Rug, Ruge, Rough, and others.
Order DNA origin analysisRugh: Where does the name Rugh come from?
The last name Rugh is commonly found throughout the United States (U.S.), but is more commonly found in certain regions. The states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Oregon each have higher than average concentrations of people with the Rugh surname. In Pennsylvania, it is most common in Adams, York, Schuylkill, Berks, and Lebanon counties. In Ohio it is most common in Hancock, Muskingum, and Pike counties. In Indiana it is most concentrated in Harrison, Owen, and Dubois counties. Finally, in Oregon it is most commonly found in Yamhill and Marion counties.
Outside of the U.S., the surname Rugh is relatively scarce. It is most commonly found in Northern Germany and Austria, as well as parts of the Netherlands. It is also somewhat common in Slovakia, Croatia, and Russia.
Although its commonality is greatest in the United States, Rugh is not consistently spelled the same in all countries. People with the surname Rugh may also spell it Rogh, Ruegh, Roghulz, Rueghulz, and Reug in some countries.
Variations of the surname Rugh
The surname Rugh is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English personal name Ruf or Ruth, meaning ‘red’ or ‘red-haired’. Variants and spellings of the surname include Rue, Rueg, Rugh, Ruug, Ruhg, Roughe, Rough, Rowgh, and Rhogh. It should also be noted that although Rugh is a distinct surname, it is sometimes used as an alternate spelling for the popular British surname of Rough.
Variant surnames of Rugh, that aren't necessarily of the same origin, also exist. These include Rug, Rugg, Roug, and Rog. However, these variants should not be confused with the aforementioned Anglo-Saxon surnames as they are unrelated and actually stem from different sources. For instance, the surname Rug is derived from a contraction of the Scottish surname MacGregor, which in turn originates from the Gaelic personal name ‘Gregor’ and is thus of Scottish origin. Similarly, Roug and Rog are Scandinavian variants derived from the personal name Roger, an equivalent of the German name Roderich, which roughly translates to ‘fame and power’.
These variants of Rugh have produced countless different surnames throughout the centuries. Some of these surnames include Rugge, Ruger, Rhuger, Ruggs, Roughen, Rougeau, Rougelot, Rouget, Ruggeri, Rugman, Rougeron, Ruggiero, Rougemont, Roggen, Ruggero, Ruggier, and Rug.
Famous people with the name Rugh
- Brent Rugh: CEO of AWS Consulting Services and former Chief Operations Officer for Aviva plc.
- Morgan Rugh: Two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director.
- Roberta Rugh: Former Mayor of Winter Park, FL.
- Michael Rugh: Retired Major League Baseball player and current hitting coach.
- Jeffrey Rugh: Lawyer and founder of The Law Offices of Jeffrey Rugh.
- Susan Rugh: American art historian, curator, and researcher.
- Rachael Rugh: Author of several books, articles, and essays about art and education.
- Whitney Rugh: Musician and director of the Center for Creativity in Education and Aging.
- Patrick Rugh: Retired professional basketball player.
- Nicholas Rugh: Award-winning composer and music producer.