There is a Roman Centurion Ruffano the origin of the story: it was called Rufus, or Ruffo name from which, many scholars derive the name of Ruffano.
Among the various opinions of historians on the origins of the name, we report the most reliable: one is that we have mentioned a little while before, and that is that the name derives

"... from a centurion named Ruffo which he was destined this land with the Roman occupation of Salento (See A. De Bernart Pages of history Ruffano 1965, p. 7 et seq.);"

Another is supported by Bishop Giuseppe Ruotolo, Bishop of Ugento, always reported by De Bernart the work cited above, according to which the possible origin may have been: "... from the noble Rufius, or by the voice Italica Rufus Rubus or, more probably Rubis which means briar or orchard ..." derives, ie either from a place full of brambles, or from a place full of fruit ...

So far the assumptions and the legend.

News more certain, however, we can have them starting with the fall of the Roman Empire onwards, when the Salento, and then Ruffano, had to endure, from the fifth to the eleventh century, a long period of war and destruction at the hands of various people that became involved in the Italian peninsula.
This state of awe and discomfort lasted even under the Principato of Taranto which Ruffano obeyed until 1463. Then came the Ruffa, Colonna, the Antoglietta, the Falcone, the Filomarino the Brancaccio and, ultimately, the Ferrante who gave considerable luster and prestige to this city.

[da: www.comune.ruffano.le.it]