R
Meaning & History
Ruzzier is a surname of Italian origin, derived from a dialectal variant of Ruggiero, which is itself the Italian form of Roger. The name is particularly concentrated in northeastern Italy, especially in the area around Trieste. The root name, Ruggiero, is famous as the name of a Saracen knight in the Renaissance epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto, as well as several operas. This Ruggiero is a noble adversary of Orlando who falls in love with the female knight Bradamante.