With over fifty different spellings, including examples such as Rolf, Roffe, Ruff, and Ruffell in England, Rudolf and Rotlauf in Germany, Rohlf in Switzerland, Ridulfo and Firidolfi in Italy, and Roelof in the Netherlands, this is a Nordic surname originating before the 7th century - of Viking origin. It ultimately derives from the personal name "Hrodwulf," which itself dates back to the time of history known as The Dark Ages, when names were mostly of pagan origin and tended to praise the undisputed virtues of piety, strength, and determination.
This particular name was composed of the elements "hrod," meaning "fame," and "wulf," literally the wolf, and initially may have referred to a specific warrior or chieftain. In the Nordic language, the contracted form was "Hrolfr" and in Danish and Swedish "Rolf", and in these forms, they reached Northern Europe in the 8th century. It is not entirely certain when the hereditary surname was first recorded, but it was among the earliest of all surnames. Examples from authentic medieval rolls and documents include: Johan Rodolfi of Hamburg, Germany, 1252, Robert Rolf, of Battle, in the county of Sussex, England, 1272, Jakob Rufi, listed as a priest in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1300, and Johan Rudolf of Andelshoven, Germany, in 1332. In the church records of London, England, the marriage of John Roffe and Elizabeth Blythe was recorded on November 3, 1560, at St. Stephan's, Coleman Street. surnames became necessary as governments introduced personal taxation.
These are derived forms (shrunken forms and their expansion through common suffixes) of the old German personal names Rudolf and Rüdiger (Ruod = fame; olf = Wolf; ger = Spear). The surname Rüdinger arose analogously to the surname Ber-ing-er, i.e. the member of the clan of...
Herbert Maas
RADULF: From the old Teutonic pers. name Raedwulf or Radwalf. Radulf appointed abbot of Kinloss, 1189, was appointed bishop of Doun in Ireland by the legate John of Salerno. Radulfus, second abbot of Cupar, d. 1189 (Chron. Mail., s.a.). Radulfus, clericus, vice-comes de Perth, in reign of Alexander II (Scon, p. 56). Radulph was first abbot of Newbottle Neubotle, pref. p. XIV). - The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black V. Rodolf. - Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison (English, German) Descendant of Rudolf (fame, wolf). - Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith
(Alsace), nom nom de baptême germanique Hrod-wulf. voir Roux. - Dictionnaire Étymologique des Noms de Famille et Prénoms de France (1951) par Albert Dauzat
The sample primarily comes from Anglophonic countries. View the tallest/shortest surnames in the world. - Research on Average Height of Males with the Surname Rudolf from Various Countries
References:
Black, G. F. (1946). The Surnames of Scotland.
Harrison, H. (1912). Surnames of the United Kingdom.
Smith, E. C. (1958). Dictionary of American Family Names.
Dauzat, A. (1951). Dictionnaire Étymologique des Noms de Famille et Prénoms de France.
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Meaning of Rudolf
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