indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from occupation, from location & from nickname)
Usage Dutch
Other Forms Formsde Ruijter, de Ruyter, de Ruyder
Meaning & History
Means "the rider" in Dutch, derived from Middle Dutch ruter "freebooter, vagrant, robber", later meaning "cavalryman, soldier, armed horseman". It could also be a nickname based on an event, in one case deriving from an incident involving a ride on a runaway pig.