Rube
An Americanized form of the Jewish name Reuben, meaning "behold a son".
Name Census estimates that about 71 living Americans carry the first name Rube. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rube today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rube births was 1917 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rube. 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
- • The typical person named Rube is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rubes were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rube. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
71
~ 1 in 4,827,526 Americans
Peak year
1917
25 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1973 SSA rank
#5,739
Tracked since 1880
Census
Rube in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 255 people with the first name Rube, which placed it at #32,783 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#32,783
National first-name rank
People counted
255
255 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
36.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rube
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rube is Hispanic at 36.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.9%) and Black (17.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Rube described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Rube at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino36.5% · 93
- White34.9% · 89
- Black or African American17.3% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 14
- Two or more races3.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 6
Popularity
Rube: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rube from the 1880s through to the 1970s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 125 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rube 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 Rube during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rubes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rube
The given name Rube originates from the Latin word "ruber," which translates to "red." This is believed to be a reference to the reddish complexion or hair color associated with individuals bearing this name in ancient times.
Historically, the name Rube was commonly used in various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, where Latin had a significant influence on language and culture. The earliest recorded instances of this name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with records indicating its use as early as the 12th century.
One of the earliest known historical figures bearing the name Rube was Rube Goldberg, an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, and inventor, born in 1883 and died in 1970. He was renowned for his humorous cartoons depicting intricate and overly-complicated contraptions designed to perform simple tasks.
Another notable individual with the name Rube was Rube Waddell, an American professional baseball player who pitched for various teams in the early 20th century. Born in 1876 and died in 1914, he was known for his eccentric personality and remarkable pitching abilities, earning him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
In the realm of literature, Rube Foster was an influential figure in the early days of African American baseball. Born in 1888 and died in 1930, he was a player, manager, and founder of the Negro National League, which provided opportunities for talented Black players during the era of racial segregation in professional sports.
Moving to the world of entertainment, Rube Bloom was an American comedian, actor, and vaudeville performer who appeared in various films and television shows in the mid-20th century. Born in 1902 and died in 1976, he was known for his distinct comedic style and memorable performances.
Lastly, Rube Marquard was an American professional baseball player who pitched for several teams in the early 20th century. Born in 1886 and died in 1980, he was a left-handed pitcher who achieved remarkable success, including winning 19 consecutive games for the New York Giants in 1912, a record that stood for several decades.
While the name Rube may have originated from Latin roots, it has transcended cultural boundaries and found its place in various historical contexts, from sports and entertainment to literature and art, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of human history.
People
Rube + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rube 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
Rube: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rube?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 71 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rube 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 4,827,526 US residents.
Is Rube a common name?
We classify Rube as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 612 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rube most popular?
The single biggest year for Rube was 1917, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rube is about 82 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Rube in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 255 people with the name Rube, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #32,783 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Rube in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Rube?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Rube on both sides of the split. Of the 243 people counted with this name, 180 were male (74.1%) and 63 were female (25.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Rube?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rube is Hispanic at 36.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.9%) and Black (17.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Rube most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Rube in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.5% (93 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Rube in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rube a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rube 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 Rube still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rube 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 Rube 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.
How many people are called Rube?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.