Rubert
A name derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" (fame) and "berht" (bright, famous).
Name Census estimates that about 105 living Americans carry the first name Rubert. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rubert today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rubert births was 1921 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rubert. 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 Rubert is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ruberts were born before 1958.
People living today
105
~ 1 in 3,264,327 Americans
Peak year
1921
22 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1968 SSA rank
#4,631
Tracked since 1902
Popularity
Rubert: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rubert from the 1900s through to the 1960s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 169 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rubert 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 Rubert 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 Rubert
The name Rubert is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German words "hrod" meaning fame or renown, and "berht" meaning bright or shining. This name dates back to the early medieval period when it first appeared in various regions of central Europe.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Hrodberht" or "Rodbert" and was commonly found in areas such as modern-day Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Rubert" as it spread across different regions and cultures.
While the name Rubert does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it was a popular name among the nobility and ruling classes during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historical records of the Frankish Empire, where a nobleman named Rubert von Lüttich is mentioned in the 9th century.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Rubert. One of the most famous was Rubert of Salzburg (c. 700 - c. 782), a Benedictine monk and the first known Archbishop of Salzburg. Another well-known bearer of the name was Rubert I, Count of Worms (c. 900 - 976), a powerful feudal lord in the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 12th century, Rubert of Auxerre (c. 1090 - 1155) was a prominent French scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on various aspects of Christian doctrine. During the Renaissance period, Rubert van Leuven (c. 1450 - 1516) was a Flemish painter and one of the earliest artists to work in the style of the Antwerp Mannerists.
Lastly, Rubert Furneaux (1824 - 1903) was a 19th-century British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and played a significant role in the suppression of the Atlantic slave trade.
While the name Rubert has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of historical names that have shaped various cultures and societies over the centuries.
People
Rubert + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rubert 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
Rubert: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rubert?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 105 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rubert 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 3,264,327 US residents.
Is Rubert a common name?
We classify Rubert as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 491 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rubert most popular?
The single biggest year for Rubert was 1921, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rubert is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rubert a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rubert 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.
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.