RUIZ Surname Meaning and Origin

What Does the Last Name Ruiz Mean?

A boy laying on the ground with his arms out in pride
The Ruiz surname means son of Ruy, deriving from a given name that means "powerful ruler.". Peopleimages / Getty Images

Ruiz is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Ruy," a short form of the given name Rodrigo. Rodrigo derives from the Germanic name Roderick (Hrodric), from the elements hrod, meaning "renown" and ric, meaning "power."

Ruiz is the 21st most common Hispanic surname.

Surname Origin: Spanish

Alternate Surname Spellings: RUIZE, ROIZ, ROIZE, RODRIZ, RUDERIZ

Famous People With the Surname "Ruiz"

  • José Francisco Ruiz: 19th century Texas pioneer and revolutionary
  • Blas Ruiz: Spanish explorer
  • Carlos Ruiz: Panamanian professional MLB baseball player
  • Bartolomé Ruiz: Spanish conquistador

Where Do People With the "Ruiz" Surname Live?

Ruiz is the 201st most common surname in the world, according to surname distribution data from Forebears, found in greatest numbers in Mexico and with the highest density in Nicaragua. The Rivera surname is also very common in Spain (ranked 12th), Argentina (14th) and Paraguay (17th).

Within Europe, Ruiz is most frequently found in Spain, according to WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the Cantabria region, followed by the regions of La Rioja, Andalucia, Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha. The surname is also very common in Argentina, and found in lesser numbers in France and the United States.

Genealogy Resources for the Surname RUIZ

  • 100 Common Hispanic Surnames & Their Meanings: Garcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez... Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names?
  • How to Research Hispanic Heritage: Learn how to get started researching your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries.
  • Ruiz Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Ruiz surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Ruiz query.
  • FamilySearch - Ruiz Genealogy: Access over 3.3 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Ruiz surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Resources and Further Reading

  • Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
  • Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.
  • Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.
  • Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
  • Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.
  • Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.
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Powell, Kimberly. "RUIZ Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/ruiz-last-name-meaning-and-origin-1422610. Powell, Kimberly. (2020, August 27). RUIZ Surname Meaning and Origin. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ruiz-last-name-meaning-and-origin-1422610 Powell, Kimberly. "RUIZ Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ruiz-last-name-meaning-and-origin-1422610 (accessed March 29, 2024).