2000
#57,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Reuber
A surname meaning "plunderer" or "robber" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 381 Americans carry the last name Reuber. That puts it at #64,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 899,618 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reuber 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
381
1 in 899,618
Census rank
#64,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
332
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 332 bearers of the surname Reuber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 64670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reuber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reuber
The surname Reuber is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in Bavaria, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire during that time period. The name is likely derived from the Middle High German word "riuber," which means "plunderer" or "robber."
In the early days, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical traits, or places of origin. The name Reuber may have been given to someone who was known for their plundering activities or who lived in an area known for banditry. Alternatively, it could have been a derogatory nickname given to someone who had a reputation for taking things that didn't belong to them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reuber can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg in 1389, where a certain Hans Reuber is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 14th century and had possibly been established earlier.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the records of the city of Regensburg, where a Konrad Reuber is mentioned in 1422. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original Bavarian roots by the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Reuber was Johann Reuber (1494-1573), a German theologian and reformer who was a follower of Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Germany.
During the 17th century, the name appears in various records across German-speaking regions. One notable individual was Georg Reuber (1620-1687), a German lawyer and legal scholar who wrote extensively on topics related to civil and canon law.
In the 18th century, Johann Reuber (1727-1797) was a German painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime and can be found in several notable collections.
As the centuries passed, the Reuber name continued to be found throughout Germany and neighboring regions. While the name may have evolved from a derogatory term, it has become a respected surname with a rich history and cultural significance in the German-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reuber
Among Census respondents with the surname Reuber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Reuber 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 Reuber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 309
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 17
- Two or more races0.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reuber
Reuber 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
#72,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 268
-61 bearers (-18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 14,719 places
2020
#64,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 332
+64 bearers (+23.9%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 7,898 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,849 | 329 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #72,568 | 268 | 0.09 | -61 bearers (-18.5%) | Down 14,719 places |
| 2020 | #64,670 | 332 | 0.11 | +64 bearers (+23.9%) | Up 7,898 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 Reuber 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 | #72,568 | #64,670 | 10.9% |
| Count | 268 | 332 | 23.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.11 | 23.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reuber bearers went from 268 to 332 (+23.9% change). The surname moved up 7,898 positions in the national ranking, going from #72,568 to #64,670.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Reuber
FAQ
Reuber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reuber?
Name Census estimates that about 381 living Americans carry the surname Reuber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 899,618 residents.
How common is Reuber?
Reuber ranks #64,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 332 people with the surname Reuber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (381), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Reuber.
Has Reuber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reuber went from 268 recorded bearers to 332. That is an increase of 64 (+23.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #72,568 to #64,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Reuber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reuber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Reuber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (309 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reuber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Reuber (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 Reuber mean?
A surname meaning "plunderer" or "robber" in German. 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 Reuber (0.11 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 many people have the last name Reuber?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Reuber on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.