Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the female genitals.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

2. a red-head.

1845

Bell’s Life in Sydney 27 Sept. 3/1: Peter Brenan, a carotty-headed brickmaker [...] First blood claimed for Rufus.

3. (US) a country person, a peasant [the ‘rustic’ name].

1903		H. Hapgood Autobiog. of a Thief 82: When these Rufus’s up the State get a Yorker or a wise guy, they’ll strip him down to his socks.
1911		University Missourian (Columbia, MO) 7 Nov. 2/1: Some rustic Rufus may have thus deserted his plow [...] in a fit of despondency.

4. (US) a derog. term of address by a white to an African-American.

1945		C. Himes If He Hollers 76: You got your license, haven’t you, Rufus?’ [...] I took a breath, let it out, said, ‘Rufus isn’t the name on it’.
1986		(con. c.1920) D. Barker Life in Jazz 37: When spoken to [by whites] individually there was these sharp crisp comments, ‘You boy/blackie/Sam/Rufus/Rastus/nigguh/monkey/coon/bozo,’ and so on.