The Spanish surname Ruiz originates from the Germanic personal name "Hrodric" which is composed of the elements "Hrōd", meaning "renown", and "rīc", meaning "power(ful)", thus "famous ruler".[1] Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a short form of Rodrigo, meaning "son of Roderick".[2][3] Its roots can be traced back to the Visigoths, the Germanic tribe which ruled in the Iberian Peninsula between the 5th and 8th centuries.[citation needed]