Rb
A fashionable diminutive form of the Hebrew name Reuben, meaning "behold, a son".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Rb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rb today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rb births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rb. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,932
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Rb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rb from the 1920s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rb by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rb
The name Rb is a relatively obscure one with uncertain origins. It is possible that it originated as an abbreviation or diminutive form of a longer name, such as Robert or Ruben, but its precise etymology remains elusive.
In ancient times, the name Rb does not appear to have been widely documented or referenced in historical texts or religious scriptures. There are no known instances of the name being mentioned in significant historical records from civilizations such as Ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Rb are relatively modern. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Rb Barker, an English playwright and poet who lived from 1584 to 1642. He was known for his satirical works that criticized the societal norms of his time.
Another notable figure with the name Rb was Rb Stevenson, a Scottish inventor and engineer who lived from 1772 to 1850. He is credited with developing an early version of the steam locomotive and contributed significantly to the advancement of transportation during the Industrial Revolution.
In the realm of literature, Rb Frost, an American poet who lived from 1874 to 1963, is one of the most renowned individuals to bear the name. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century and is renowned for his works that capture the essence of rural New England life.
In the field of science, Rb Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist who lived from 1904 to 1967, was a pivotal figure in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. He served as the director of the Manhattan Project and later became a vocal advocate for nuclear non-proliferation.
Lastly, Rb Dylan, the legendary American singer-songwriter and Nobel laureate who was born in 1941, has undoubtedly been one of the most influential figures to carry the name Rb. His impact on the music industry and his poetic lyrics have earned him global recognition and countless accolades over his six-decade career.
While the name Rb may not have a rich historical background or cultural significance, these individuals have left an indelible mark on various fields, ranging from literature and science to music and technology, ensuring that the name will be remembered for generations to come.
People
Rb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rb as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rb going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Rb a common name?
We classify Rb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rb most popular?
The single biggest year for Rb was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rb is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rb in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rb in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rb can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Rb?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.