Rutherford (surname)

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] It may refer to:

See also

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]

References

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