Surname Rüling - Meaning and Origin
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Rüling: What does the surname Rüling mean?
The surname Rüling is an occupational name that originated from Germany. The word “Rüling” is a variation of the word “Rüheling” or “Rühling”, which means “a person who occupies a ruling or commanding position”. This name is derived from the old German word “rîh” meaning “mighty, powerful”.
The surname Rüling may have been adopted by people in positions of power or leadership. It may also have been taken on to denote a sense of respectability or nobility. It could be used as a nickname for someone who was skilled at ruling or governing.
The surname Rüling is a common name in Germany and can be found among numerous German families, especially in the regions bordering Austria and Switzerland. It is also not uncommon to find the surname Rüling among expatriate communities around the world. There is even an entire village in Germany named Rülingen, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
In modern times, the surname Rüling continues to represent a sense of respectability, power and leadership. Those who bear the surname can take pride in its strong German heritage and the fact that it has been passed down through the generations.
Order DNA origin analysisRüling: Where does the name Rüling come from?
The last name Rüling is most commonly found today in Germany, where it is most concentrated, especially in the north of the country. Other countries in Europe where the name is found to a lesser extent include Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland. Beyond Europe, Rüling is still relatively rare.
Given the German origin of this name, it is likely that Rüling originated in Central or parts of Northern Germany, places like North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Hessen. It is believed that Rüling as a surname is derived either from place names such as Rülingen and Röllingsen in northern Germany, or from a Germanic personal name ending in -ing, such as Robeling or Reuling.
In Germany, Rüling is typically a fairly common name, with the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt, and Lower Saxony having the highest concentration of Rülings. As the name is not especially common outside of Germany, it can be assumed that the majority of those with the last name Rüling are of German descent.
Variations of the surname Rüling
The surname Ruling can be spelled in multiple ways, including Rueing, Ruling, Ruehlien, Ruehl, Ruhling, and Ryuling.
Ruling is an ancient German and Dutch surname originally meaning "person from the clearing". Its roots in the Middle High German 'ruh' mean "calm" and designate a tranquil area of land or a clearing.
A variety of spellings have evolved from Ruling, all of which have the same root meaning. The spellings Ruehlien, Ruehl, and Ruhling reflect a Dutch origin, as they are versions of the Low German and Dutch version of 'Ruling'. In Dutch, surnames that began with a “th” would have undergone a sound shift that converted the “th” to an “r”.
The spelling of Rüling is most commonly found as a variant of the surname. “Rue” is an old spelling, which was popular in Germany in the 13th century. This spelling denotes the High German 'Ruling'. The “ü” represents what was once an "umlaut," a diacritical mark that appears above a vowel to change its pronunciation.
The surname Ryuling has a slightly different origin, as it derives from a Swedish version of 'Ruling'. This spelling reflects the more traditional Swedish pronunciation, where silent letters were sometimes omitted and the ”y” was used instead of “ü”.
Despite all of these varied spellings, Ruling, Rüling, and Ryuling all refer to the same surname, and though they have different origins they are all derived from the Middle High German “ruh” meaning “calm” or “tranquil”.
Famous people with the name Rüling
- Käte Rüling: Käte Rüling (1874–1964) was a renowned German bacteriologist, even though her work was mostly unrecognised for a long time. She specialized in the field of tuberculosis and is notably the founder of the German Research Institute for Tuberculosis in 1928.
- Johann Christian Rüling: Johann Christian Rüling (1768–1847) was a prominent German classical scholar and philologist, and was a professor of literature at the University of Leipzig for almost 50 years. He worked extensively on Greek and Latin literature, also having an interest in German folklore.
- Uwe Rüling: Uwe Rüling is a German former professional tennis player who played on the ATP tour from 1975-1980. He achieved his best singles ranking of World No. 67 in 1980.
- Heinrich Wilhelm Rüling: Heinrich Wilhelm Rüling (1863–1950) was a German theologian and Reverend who focused on Christianity and Biblical studies. He was the author of several books, some of which were translated into English.
- Joachim Rüling: Joachim Rüling (1561–1620) was a German marine cartographer and navigator trained in the Netherlands. He is mainly known for his work in creating maps of the Gulf of Finland, the Briaso Strait and the northern shore of Europe. He is also noted for his works in nautical science and published the first atlas of the Arctic in 1601.