The Spanish and Portuguese surname Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a short form of Rodrigo, meaning "son of Roderick".<!-- See also Wiktionary "-ez", section "Spanish". --> Roderick's roots can be traced back to the Visigoths, the Germanic tribe which ruled in the Iberian Peninsula between the 5th and 8th centuries; it originates from the Germanic personal name "Hrodric" which is composed of the elements "Hrōd", meaning "renown", and "rīc", meaning "power(ful)", thus "famous ruler".
People
- Adolfo Ruiz Cortines (1890–1973), President of Mexico 1952–1958
- Alejandro R. Ruiz (1923–2009), U.S. Army recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II
- Alexandre Ruiz (born 1987), French rugby union referee
- Andrés Ponce 'Andy' Ruiz Jr. (born 1989), American professional boxer of Mexican descent
- Antoñito Ruiz (born 1951), Spanish child actor and stuntman
- Ashley Ruiz (born 1976), American singer, prior member of the group Menudo
- Bartolomé Ruiz (1482–1532), Spanish conquistador
- Bernardo Ruiz (1925–2025), Spanish road bicycle racer
- Bernardo Ruiz (filmmaker), Mexican–American documentary filmmaker
- Blas Ruiz, Spanish explorer
- Brunilda Ruiz (1936–2019), American ballet dancer
- Bryan Ruiz (born 1985), Costa Rican football player
- Carlos Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Cesar Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Chela Ruiz (1921–1999), Argentine actress
- Chris Ruiz, German electronic DJ and producer, member of band And One
- David Resendez Ruíz (unk) Mexican-American prison activist known for Ruiz v. Estelle
- Edgar Humberto Ruiz (born 1971), Colombian road cyclist
- Emilio Ruiz Muñoz (1874–1936), Spanish priest and press pundit
- Enzo Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Estanislau Ruiz Ponsetti (1889–1967), Spanish engineer and socialist politician
- Estela Ruiz (born 1936), Mexican-American Marian visionary
- Esteury Ruiz (born 1999), Dominican baseball player
- Félix Ruiz (1940–1993), Spanish footballer
- Frankie Ruiz (1958–1998), Puerto Rican salsa singer
- Gabriel Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Gabrielle Ruiz (born 1983), American actress
- Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, Spanish aristocrat
- Héctor Ruiz (born 1945), Mexican-American businessman, CEO of AMD
- Hipólito Ruiz López (1754–1816), Spanish botanist whose standard author abbreviation is Ruiz
- Iñaki Ruiz de Pinedo (born 1954), Spanish politician
- Israel Ruiz Jr. (born 1943), New York politician
- Iván Ruiz (born 1977), Cuban volleyball player
- Jaime Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Jesús Zueco Ruiz (1946–2025), Spanish politician
- John Ruiz a.k.a. "The Quiet Man" (born 1972), Puerto Rican boxing champion
- José Francisco Ruiz (1795–1840), Texas revolutionary and politician
- José Martínez Ruiz, pseudonym Azorin (1873–1967), Spanish poet and writer
- José Javier Pomés Ruiz (born 1952), Spanish politician and Member of the European Parliament
- José Ruiz (baseball) (born 1994), Venezuelan baseball player
- Juan Ruiz (1283–1350), Spanish priest and poet
- Juan Ruiz de Alarcón (1581–1639), dramatist from New Spain
- Katie Ruiz (born 1984), American artist
- Keibert Ruiz (born 1998), Venezuelan baseball player
- Lorenzo Ruiz (c. 1600–1637), Filipino saint
- Marcel Ruiz (footballer) (born 2000), Mexican professional footballer
- Marcel Ruiz (actor) (born 2003), American actor
- Mari-Jo P. Ruiz, Filipina mathematician
- María Lourdes Ruiz (1965–2025), Nicaraguan discus thrower and shot putter
- Maria Luisa Alanis Ruiz (born 1948), American academic and activist
- Martha Cecilia Ruiz (born 1972), Nicaraguan poet, writer, journalist, and activist
- Matías Alonso Ruiz (born 1952), Spanish politician
- Don Miguel Ruiz (born 1952), Mexican author, shaman, and teacher of the Toltec tradition
- Norge Ruiz (born 1994), Cuban baseball player
- Óscar Ruiz (referee) (born 1969), Colombian football referee
- Pablo Ruiz y Picasso (1881–1973), Spanish artist
- Raúl Ruiz (disambiguation), several people
- Renata Ruiz (born 1984), Chilean model, 2005 Miss Universe contestant
- Renato Ruiz (born 1977), Mexican professional wrestler
- Richard Ruiz, Mexican football player
- Rio Ruiz (born 1994), American professional baseball player
- Rodrigo Ruiz (born 1972), Chilean football player
- Rosie Ruiz (1953–2019), woman who cheated at the 1980 Boston Marathon
- Samuel Ruiz (1924–2011), Mexican bishop from the state of Chiapas
- Tracie Ruiz (born 1963), American synchronized swimmer
- Vincenzo Arangio-Ruiz (1884–1964), Italian politician
Places
- Nevado del Ruiz, volcano in Colombia
- Ruiz, Nayarit, in Mexico