Show ContentsRue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Rue

What does the name Rue mean?

The roots of the surname Rue come from the Old English term "raw," meaning "row"; the surname indicates a "dweller in the row of houses or in the street."

Early Origins of the Rue family

The surname Rue was first found in the county of Cornwall; the first known bearer of the name was Robert ate Rewe, who appears in records dated 1297. There is also a parish called Rewe, located in Devon; this parish was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Early History of the Rue family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rue research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1327, 1492, 1650, 1858 and 1929 are included under the topic Early Rue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rue Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rew, Rewe, Rue, Rowe, Rhue, Rhew, Rhewe and others.

Early Notables of the Rue family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rue Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rue Ranking

In the United States, the name Rue is the 5,767th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rue is ranked the 8,809th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2


Rue migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rue Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James Rue, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 3
Rue Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Rue, aged 35, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1825 3
  • Alex Rue, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
  • Matihde Rue, aged 29, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1859 3
  • Francis Rue, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
  • Ingeborg Rue, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1895
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Rue Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Clara Rue, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Jeanne Rue, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Hericourt, France, in 1909
  • Emile Rue, aged 11, who landed in America from Hericourt, France, in 1909
  • Harvey Rue, aged 58, who immigrated to America, in 1910
  • Blanche Rue, aged 53, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rue migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rue Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Abraham Rue U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 379 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 4

Rue migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rue Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Rue, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Rue (post 1700) +

  • Sara Rue (b. 1979), born Sara Schlackman, an American television actress
  • La Rue Peck, American politician, U.S. Consul in Fort Erie, 1884 6
  • Rue McClanahan (1934-2010), American Emmy Award winning actress, best known for her work in Maude and the Golden Girls
  • Rue P. Melching, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1944, 1948 7

USS Indianapolis
  • William Goff Rue, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 8


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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