Arruda
A Portuguese surname most often tied to the herb rue, likely used as a place-name or nickname surname.
The #7,351 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,126 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Arruda is a Portuguese surname associated with the word for rue, the aromatic herb. Portuguese arruda goes back to Latin ruta, with the initial a- reflecting later Romance development in Iberia. As a surname, it was probably first used for someone living near rue, growing it, or associated with a place named from the plant.
History
The name is especially common in Portuguese-speaking communities, including Portugal and Brazil, and also appears in families from former Portuguese Atlantic and colonial areas. Like many Portuguese surnames, it could arise from a local topographic feature or a toponym based on a plant name. It is less common as a surname than as a place-name in parts of Iberian and Lusophone history.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Rue was historically valued not only as a herb but also as a symbolic plant in European folk tradition, which helped plant-based surnames endure.