Meaning and origin
The last name Rutledge is of English origin and derives from the Old English personal name "Rut(e)leah," meaning "the red pasture" or "the clearing with red soil." This name likely referred to a geographical location with red soil or a place where red-colored plants grew. Over time, Rutledge evolved into a surname and has been borne by various families, particularly in England and Ireland.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,306
Rutledge was the 1,306th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 26,887 people, about 8.7 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Rutledge
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Rutledge is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.