Meaning & History
Ruggles is an English surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the given name Roger. The surname originates as a patronymic, meaning "son of Rudge," where Rudge itself is a variant form of Hodge or Dodge, both pet forms of Roger.
The personal name Roger has deep roots in Germanic tradition, ultimately from the elements hruod "fame" and ger "spear," thus meaning "famous spear." Brought to England by the Normans, Roger replaced the Old English cognate Hroðgar, the name of the Danish king in the epic Beowulf. The name became exceedingly common in medieval England, though it declined by the 18th century before being revived more recently.
The surname Ruggles has also left its mark in place names; there are a township and unincorporated community in Ashland County, Ohio, originally named after surveyor Almon Ruggles. Variant forms of the surname share the same origin and include Rogers, Hodges, Hodgson, Hodson, Dodge, and Hodge. Along analogous linguistic lines, international cognates include Dutch Rutgers and Rutten, Italian Ruggeri and Ruggiero, French Roger, and Italian Ruzzier.
Related Names
Sources: Wiktionary — Ruggles