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Ruiz is a surname of Spanish origin and means “son of Ruy”. It is currently one of the most popular surnames in the Hispanic world, where there are more than 2 million people with the last name Ruiz.
Meaning
Ruiz is a patronymic surname that, as such, refers to the parent of the person who bears it or to the father of the family from whom the people who bear this surname descend.
The meaning of Ruiz is, as mentioned before, “son of Ruy”. It is made up of Ruy or Rui which is an abbreviation of the given name Rodrigo and, like other Spanish surnames, the suffix -ez or -z , meaning “son of”.
The name Rodrigo, in turn, comes from the Germanic name Roderick , and this from hrodric , where hrod means “reputation” or “fame” and ric , which means “power”.
Origin of the surname Ruiz
The origin of the surname Ruiz dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed that it arose in Spain, in the regions that currently make up the Basque Country and Navarra.
The first preserved records name a Ruiz family from the town of Hetura, in Barrundia. One of the descendants of said family was Francisco Antonio Ruiz de Alegría. There are later records of other Ruiz houses in Marquina and Valmaseda. Other ancient Ruiz families lived in Burgos, Córdoba, Seville and Jaén.
From the 15th century there are records of the privilege of nobility that King Enrique IV granted to Martín Ruiz. Later, his descendants also received this title from the Catholic Monarchs.
During the Spanish conquest of America, the Ruiz surname spread to the new continent. The conquistador Bartolomé Ruiz was one of the participants in the first expeditions to South America.
In the 16th century, the explorer Blas Ruiz toured some Asian countries, such as Cambodia and Laos, among others.
One of the members of the Hernán Cortés expedition to Mexico City was Alonso Ruiz, who settled in that city.
Currently, the Ruiz surname is still quite popular in Mexico, and also in the Spanish regions of Castilla-La Mancha, La Rioja, Andalusia and Murcia. It is also a common surname in other Latin American countries, as well as in the United States, the Philippines, and France.
Curious facts about the last name Ruiz
In addition to its origin and meaning, there are other interesting facts related to the popularity of the Ruiz surname:
- Ruiz is the 21st most popular Hispanic surname.
- In the world, it is the 194th most common last name.
- It is the 12th most popular surname in Spain, the 13th in Nicaragua, the 15th in Argentina and the 20th in Mexico.
- It is also one of the most popular surnames in Colombia, Peru, Cuba and Venezuela.
- Other variants of the Ruiz surname exist, including Ruize, Roiz, Roize, Rodriz, and Ruderiz.
Celebrities with the last name Ruiz
Famous people with the last name Ruiz include:
- Blas Ruiz: Spanish explorer.
- Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita: Spanish cleric and poet of the 14th century AD
- Bartolomé Ruiz: Spanish conqueror.
- Iñaki Ruiz de Pinedo: Spanish sociologist and politician.
- Iván Benito Ruíz Cuesta: professional Cuban volleyball player.
- Mari-Jo P. Ruiz: Filipino mathematician.
- Chela Ruiz: Argentine actress.
- Frankie Ruiz: Cuban salsa singer and songwriter.
- Carlos Ruiz: Panamanian professional baseball player in the MLB.
- Martha Cecilia Ruiz: Nicaraguan writer and activist.
Genealogy and resources
Knowing our roots is an important step in understanding ourselves and our family. To get information about common ancestors with the last name Ruiz, you can use different online tools, such as:
- FamilySearch: which is a genealogy forum with over 3 million free data, family trees, and other records related to the Ruiz surname and other Hispanic surnames.
- Geneanet: is a database of Hispanic surnames with a huge network of people with the last name Ruiz, forums, DNA data and more information.
Bibliography
- Faure, R.; Ribes, MA (2001). Dictionary of Spanish surnames. Spain. Espasa Books.
- Schnieper Campos, J.; Rosado Martin, F. Spanish surnames. Heraldry. (2001). Brand Editorial.
