2000
#65,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Rubach
A locational surname of Polish origin, derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 326 Americans carry the last name Rubach. That puts it at #73,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,051,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubach 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
326
1 in 1,051,394
Census rank
#73,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
284
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 284 bearers of the surname Rubach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubach
The surname RUBACH is of Polish origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "ruba," which means "to cut down trees" or "to clear land." This suggests that the name was likely associated with those who worked as lumberjacks or foresters in the densely forested regions of Poland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUBACH surname can be found in the Akta Grodzkie Krakowskie, a collection of legal documents from the Krakow region, dating back to the late 16th century. These documents mention individuals with the name RUBACH residing in villages near the town of Tarnów.
In the 17th century, the RUBACH name appeared in various church records and tax registers across southern Poland, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland and Galicia. During this time, the surname was also spelled as "Rubacz" or "Rubaczewski," reflecting local dialectal variations.
Notable individuals with the RUBACH surname include Jan Rubach (1608-1672), a Polish nobleman and landowner who played a significant role in the Polish-Swedish War. Another prominent figure was Franciszek Rubach (1782-1859), a Polish painter and illustrator known for his religious and historical works.
In the 19th century, the RUBACH name gained recognition with Józef Rubach (1836-1912), a Polish engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early steam engines and agricultural machinery. His son, Henryk Rubach (1868-1941), followed in his footsteps and became a respected civil engineer, working on several major infrastructure projects in Poland.
Another noteworthy individual was Maria Rubach (1905-1998), a Polish educator and activist who played a crucial role in the country's resistance movement during World War II. She risked her life to provide education and support to children in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Throughout its history, the RUBACH surname has been closely tied to the Polish culture and heritage, with its origins rooted in the nation's forestry and agricultural traditions. While the name has spread across the globe due to migration, it remains a prominent surname in Poland, carrying a rich legacy and stories from the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubach
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubach 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 Rubach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 269
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 5
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubach
Rubach 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
#73,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
-17 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 7,547 places
2020
#73,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
+19 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 340 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,668 | 282 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,215 | 265 | 0.09 | -17 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,547 places |
| 2020 | #73,555 | 284 | 0.10 | +19 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 340 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 Rubach 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 | #73,215 | #73,555 | -0.5% |
| Count | 265 | 284 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubach bearers went from 265 to 284 (+7.2% change). The surname moved down 340 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,215 to #73,555.
FAQ
Rubach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubach?
Name Census estimates that about 326 living Americans carry the surname Rubach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,051,394 residents.
How common is Rubach?
Rubach ranks #73,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 284 people with the surname Rubach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Rubach.
Has Rubach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubach went from 265 recorded bearers to 284. That is an increase of 19 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #73,215 to #73,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Rubach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (269 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Rubach (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 Rubach mean?
A locational surname of Polish origin, derived from a place name. 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 Rubach (0.10 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 are called Rubach?
You can see how common the surname Rubach is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.