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Rufer Family History

Rufer Name Meaning

German: occupational name for a town crier or a nickname for a street vendor from Middle High German ruofære rüefære ‘(town) crier’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Rumer, Ruder, Ufer, Hupfer, Zuber, Uber, Ruge, Rauner, Nufer, Buser

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rufer family from?

You can see how Rufer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rufer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Rufer families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 11 Rufer families living in Ontario. This was about 92% of all the recorded Rufer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rufer families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rufer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rufer ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laundress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rufer. 31% of Rufer men worked as a Laborer and 25% of Rufer women worked as a Laundress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rufer were Salesman and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Rufer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    31%
  • Farmer
    23%
  • Farm Labor
    9%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laundress
    25%
  • Housewife
    25%
  • Saleslady
    19%
  • Teacher
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rufer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Rufer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rufer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rufer

Passenger Lists

There are 562 immigration records available for the last name Rufer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rufer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 691 military records available for the last name Rufer. For the veterans among your Rufer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rufer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rufer family history

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What is the average Rufer lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Rufer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1965, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Rufer in 1958 was 45, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rufer

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