Rutherford (name)
The surname Rutherford, also Rutherfurd, is a Scottish and Northern English habitational surname deriving from a place in the Scottish borders region near Roxburgh.[1]
Origin
According to one theory, the name can be traced back to the West Flemish name Ruddervoorde, a community now part of Oostkamp.[2] Another theory of the origin of the name states that a man by the name Ruther carried an ancient king of Scots over the River Tweed. Eventually, a descendant of the king gave land to the family that carried his forefather over the river and when surnames were adopted, Rutherford came into being.[3]
The motto of the Rutherfords of one of the clans is Nec sorte nec fato, represented as "Nor by fate nor by chance."[4]
People
Notable people with the name include:
- Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States. (1877-1881)
- Adam Rutherford, British geneticist, author, and broadcaster.
- Alexander Cameron Rutherford, Canadian politician, first Premier of Alberta (1905–1910)
- Ann Rutherford (1917–2012), Canadian-American actress, best known of Polly Benedict of Andy Hardy film series
- Boyd Rutherford (born 1957), Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Maryland
- Clancy Rudeforth, former Australian rules footballer
- Daniel Rutherford, a Scottish chemist and physician who is most famous for the discovery of nitrogen
- Don Rutherford (1937–2016), English international rugby union player
- Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, known as the "father of nuclear physics"
- Frances Rutherford (1912–2006), New Zealand artist and occupational therapist
- Friend Smith Rutherford (1820-1864), United States Army office and lawyer
- Gilbert Rutherford, American politician
- Greg Rutherford (born 1986), British athlete (specifically long jumper)
- Griffith Rutherford (1721-1805) American Revolutionary War General
- Jack Rutherford (cricketer), Australian Test cricketer
- Jack Rutherford (footballer born 1892) (1892–1930), English footballer for Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol Rovers and Gillingham
- Jack Rutherford (footballer born 1908), English footballer for Gillingham and Watford
- James Rutherford (disambiguation), several people
- Jim Rutherford, former NHL goaltender and current general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Joe Rutherford, an Aston Villa F.C. goalkeeper of the mid-20th-century
- John Rutherford (disambiguation), multiple people
- Joseph Franklin Rutherford, also known as "Judge Rutherford", 2nd president of the Watch Tower Society corporation
- Kelly Rutherford, American actress, most famous for her role as Lily van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama Gossip Girl
- Ken Rutherford (cricketer), New Zealand batsman and captain
- Margaret Rutherford, British actress
- Mike Rutherford (born 1950), English musician
- Rachel Rutherford, New York City Ballet soloist
- Samuel Rutherford, Scottish theologian, minister and political theorist
- Skip Rutherford (born 1950), academic administrator
- Theodora Fonteneau Rutherford (1904-after 1982), American accountant, clubwoman, and college instructor
- William Rutherford (disambiguation), several people
See also
- Edward Rutherfurd, nom de plume of Francis Edward Wintle, author of historical fiction
References
- ^ "Rutherford Name Meaning & Rutherford Family History at Ancestry.com". ancestry.com.
- ^ "Flemish Roots". 4t.com. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Origin and History of the Name Rutherford". mathoni.com.
- ^ "The History of the Surname". Doug Baldwin. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
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