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Ru Family History

Ru Surname Meaning

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 茹 meaning ‘eat’ in ancient Chinese: (i) borne by members of the Ruru (茹茹) ethnic group (also known as Rourans) in ancient northern China. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Pu Lou Ru (普陋茹) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD).

Mandarin form of the surname 汝 meaning ‘you’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Ru Chuan (汝川) the name of a fief (located in Henan province) granted to the youngest son of King Ping of Zhou (died 720 BC).

The surname may alternatively be derived from Ru (汝) the name of a river (also located in present-day Henan province). (ii) borne by descendants of Ru Jiu (汝鳩) and Ru Fang (汝方) talented officials during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

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


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Where is the Ru family from?

You can see how Ru families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ru family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Ru families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 5 Ru families living in North Carolina. This was about 83% of all the recorded Ru's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Ru families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ru surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ru ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Ru. 60% of Ru women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Ru | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    60%
  • Domestic Servant
    20%
  • Housemaid
    20%

What Ru family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Ru

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Ru. 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 Ru immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 479 military records available for the last name Ru. For the veterans among your Ru ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ru military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ru family history

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What is the average Ru lifespan?

Between 1974 and 2003, in the United States, Ru life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Ru in 1974 was 36, and 80 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ru

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ru ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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