RUFFLE
Origins of the surname Ruffle can be traced to England, where it arose in the Middle Ages. The name derives from the Middle English word ruffle, meaning a fold or pleat in fabric. It was used as a nickname for a person known for wearing or manufacturing garments with ruffles, or alternatively, for someone with a flamboyant or frilly manner.
In some traditions the surname is linked to the personal name Rolf, itself a medieval English form of the Germanic elements hrod (renown) and wulf (wolf). The name Rolf appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is thought to have entered England through Scandinavian settlers and the Normans who used the variant Rou. The earliest recorded spelling of the family name in the English Midlands is the marriage entry of William and Grace Ruffle of Bulmer, Essex, dated 26 July 1590.
Other possible meanings of the name are documented. One theory holds that Ruffle could have been an occupational name for a washerwoman, derived from the Old French word rufle. Yet another possibility is that the name was used for a quarrelsome or argumentative person, stemming from the Old English verb hrufflan meaning “to wrinkle” or “to ruffle.” The name might also have a habitational origin from places such as Rufford in Lancashire and Rufforth in Yorkshire.
A number of spelling variants are recorded, including Ruffell, Ruffles, Rufle, Ruffel and Rifflet. In the 13th and 14th centuries several bearers of these variants appear in English records – for example, Benedict Ruffles in 1297, Thomas Ruffles in 1377, and Richard Rufelt of Chester in 1332. The surname has remained relatively uncommon; Forebears lists about 1,302 individuals in England alone and fewer in Scotland (174), Wales (50) and Northern Ireland (15).
In former British colonies the name has also been recorded. In Canada there were 218 people named Ruffle in Ontario in 1911, many of whom lived in Cornwall. In the United States the name is exceedingly rare, with only 38 individuals listed in the 1880 Federal Census. The American branch is believed to have descended from Canadians who arrived in the United States later.
Today the surname Ruffle is still mainly found within the United Kingdom, with occurrences in Canada, the United States and other English‑speaking countries. Despite its rarity, the name carries a rich history that echoes its original meanings of frills, fabric folds and, at times, a spirited temperament.
Typical given names associated with the Ruffle surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- John
- Jonathan
- Neil
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Stephen
- Timothy
Female
- Amy
- Christine
- Lara
- Louise
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Pamela
- Pauline
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ruffle in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 794 people named Ruffle in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,823rd most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named Ruffle.
