2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Rabineau
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Rabineau. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rabineau surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Rabineau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabineau, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rabineau
The surname RABINEAU originated in France, likely in the early medieval period. It is derived from the French word "rabine," meaning a small stream or brook. The name may have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a small stream or watercourse.
The earliest known record of the name RABINEAU dates back to the 13th century. It appears in a medieval French document from the region of Burgundy, referring to a landowner named Jehan Rabineau. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of central and eastern France by that time.
In the 14th century, the RABINEAU name can be found in various records from the province of Normandy, such as tax rolls and land deeds. This indicates that the name had spread to other regions of France by that point.
One notable early bearer of the RABINEAU surname was Guillaume Rabineau, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the late 14th century. He is recorded as having participated in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the RABINEAU name appeared in various regions of France, including Brittany, Poitou, and Anjou. Some variations in spelling, such as Rabineaux and Rabinaud, also emerged during this period.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the RABINEAU surname was Pierre-Antoine Rabineau, a French playwright and poet born in 1724. He was known for his satirical works and plays that criticized the French aristocracy.
Another notable RABINEAU was Marie-Geneviève Rabineau, born in 1756, who was a pioneer in early childhood education. She established one of the first kindergartens in Paris and wrote several influential books on teaching methods for young children.
During the 19th century, the RABINEAU name continued to be found throughout France, with some bearers emigrating to other parts of the world, including Canada and the United States.
One such individual was Jacques Rabineau, born in 1822, who was a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer. He is known for his expeditions into the Canadian Northwest and his efforts to establish trade routes with indigenous tribes.
In summary, the surname RABINEAU has a long and rich history, originating in medieval France and spreading to various regions over the centuries. While initially derived from a descriptive term related to small streams, it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including soldiers, artists, educators, and explorers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rabineau
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabineau, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rabineau bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rabineau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rabineau
Rabineau appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+20 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 18,926 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 18,926 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rabineau surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #142,049 | 11.8% |
| Count | 100 | 120 | 20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rabineau bearers went from 100 to 120 (+20.0% change). The surname moved up 18,926 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #142,049.
FAQ
Rabineau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rabineau?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Rabineau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Rabineau?
Rabineau ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Rabineau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rabineau.
Has Rabineau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rabineau went from 100 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 20 (+20.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Rabineau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabineau, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rabineau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rabineau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rabineau (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rabineau mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a ravine. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rabineau (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Rabineau?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Rabineau? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.