2000
#3,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,739
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.24
Rare Last name
Robinette
A diminutive of Robert, likely referring to a descendant of someone named Robert or Robin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,624 Americans carry the last name Robinette. That puts it at #4,104 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Robinette 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
9.6K
1 in 35,615
Census rank
#4,104
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,393 bearers of the surname Robinette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4104th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Robinette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Robinette
The surname Robinette is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages, derived from the French word "robin," which was a diminutive form of the personal name Robert. The surname likely evolved as a descriptive name for someone with a reddish or ruddy complexion, as the word "robin" was also used to refer to the European robin, a small red-breasted bird.
The earliest known record of the name Robinette can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. In the early 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Robinet, Robineau, and Robinet, in official records and manuscripts from that period.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Robinette was Jean Robinette, a French merchant who lived in Paris in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Pierre Robinette, a renowned French sculptor who was active in the 16th century and contributed to the construction of several significant buildings and monuments in Paris.
The name Robinette also has connections to place names in France, such as the village of Robinet in the Auvergne region, which may have influenced the development of the surname in certain areas.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Robinett, Robinette, and Robinet. In England, the name first appeared in records from the 16th century, likely introduced by French immigrants or English families with French ancestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Robinette in England was Thomas Robinette, born in 1564 in Gloucestershire. Another notable figure was Sir John Robinette, an English politician and Member of Parliament in the 17th century.
In the Americas, the Robinette surname can be traced back to French settlers who arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Jean Robinette, a French Huguenot who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century.
Over the centuries, several individuals with the Robinette surname have made significant contributions in various fields. These include:
1. Paul Robinette (1898-1962), an American actor and singer known for his roles in numerous Broadway productions and Hollywood films.
2. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born 1942), an American politician who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025.
3. Mary Robinette Kowal (born 1973), an American author of science fiction and fantasy novels, and a professional puppeteer.
4. William Robinette "Robin" Williams (1951-2014), an acclaimed American actor and comedian, known for his influential comedic style and memorable roles in films such as "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets Society."
5. Emmett Robinette (1851-1941), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Robinette
Among Census respondents with the surname Robinette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Robinette 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 Robinette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 7,650
- Two or more races3.7% · 310
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 251
- Black or African American0.9% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Robinette
Robinette 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
#4,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,784
+45 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.98
Rank movement Down 318 places
2020
#4,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,393
-391 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 2.81
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,727 | 8,739 | 3.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,045 | 8,784 | 2.98 | +45 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 318 places |
| 2020 | #4,104 | 8,393 | 2.81 | -391 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 59 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 Robinette 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 | #4,045 | #4,104 | -1.5% |
| Count | 8,784 | 8,393 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.98 | 2.81 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Robinette bearers went from 8,784 to 8,393 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,045 to #4,104.
FAQ
Robinette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Robinette?
Name Census estimates that about 9,624 living Americans carry the surname Robinette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,615 residents.
How common is Robinette?
Robinette ranks #4,104 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,393 people with the surname Robinette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,624), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Robinette.
Has Robinette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Robinette went from 8,784 recorded bearers to 8,393. That is a decrease of 391 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,045 to #4,104.
What does the Census say about the background of Robinette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Robinette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Robinette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (7,650 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Robinette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Robinette (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 Robinette mean?
A diminutive of Robert, likely referring to a descendant of someone named Robert or Robin. 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 Robinette (2.81 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 Americans have the surname Robinette?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.