2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rahuba
Originating from an Arabic place name, potentially meaning "a watchful guardian".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Rahuba. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rahuba 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Rahuba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahuba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rahuba
The surname Rahuba has its origins in the Persian region of modern-day Iran, dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Persian word "rahubah," which means "guide" or "leader," suggesting that the name may have been given to individuals who held positions of authority or served as guides in their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rahuba can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Ferdowsi, who lived from around 940 to 1020 AD. In his epic poem, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi mentions a character named Rahuba, though the details of this individual are scarce.
During the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of Iran and Central Asia from the 11th to the 13th century, the name Rahuba appears in several historical documents and records. One notable individual bearing this surname was Rahuba ibn Malik, a prominent military commander who served under the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah I in the late 11th century.
As the Persian civilization flourished and expanded its influence, the name Rahuba spread to neighboring regions, including parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. In the 13th century, a scholar and historian named Rahuba al-Bukhari, born in the city of Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan), wrote extensively on the history and culture of the region.
The name Rahuba also found its way into the Arabic-speaking world, where it was sometimes transliterated as "Rahuba" or "Rahouba." One notable bearer of this surname was Rahuba al-Andalusi, a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in Andalusia (modern-day Spain) during the 12th century.
In the 15th century, a Persian nobleman named Rahuba Khan served as a high-ranking official in the court of the Timurid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Rahuba Khan was known for his military prowess and his contributions to the administration of the empire.
As time passed, the name Rahuba spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the Persian region and the rich historical tapestry of the Iranian plateau, where it was once closely associated with leadership, guidance, and scholarly pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rahuba
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahuba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rahuba 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 Rahuba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rahuba
Rahuba appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,782 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-15 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,782 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,291 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 Rahuba 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 | #126,018 | #141,309 | -12.1% |
| Count | 136 | 121 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rahuba bearers went from 136 to 121 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #141,309.
FAQ
Rahuba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rahuba?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Rahuba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Rahuba?
Rahuba ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Rahuba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Rahuba.
Has Rahuba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rahuba went from 136 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Rahuba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahuba, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Rahuba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rahuba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Rahuba (2000, 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 Rahuba mean?
Originating from an Arabic place name, potentially meaning "a watchful guardian". 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 Rahuba (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 Rahuba?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Rahuba on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.