Rude, Ruud, Ruudsen, Ruudsson, Ruudson?
Does anyone know anything about the Norwegian(?, I suppose it could be from any other sort of Scandinavian country) surname Rude? I am certain it has been anglicized. Is it possible it could have originally been one of these surnames:Ruud
Ruudsson
Ruudson
Ruudsen"Before the internet, the village idiot would stay in his village."
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Ruud is a Norwegian surname. See here -http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?fid=10&ln=Ruud
Rud and Rudi are also Norwegian place names and surnames, but I can't find a Rude.
The other names look like patronymics, which would make a connection with Ruud unlikely. There is a website, www.ssb.no, which lists every surname in Norway with 200 or more bearers. Of your list only Ruud (4813 bearers) features there.
They might be from a diminutive of Rudolf. The -sen ending is Danish and Norwegian, the -sson ending is Swedish.
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