2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rubalcada
A Sephardic Jewish surname possibly derived from a Spanish place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Rubalcada. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubalcada 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Rubalcada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubalcada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubalcada
The surname Rubalcada is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Andalusia. It is derived from the Arabic words "rubáḻ," meaning "fortified house" or "farmstead," and "cáda," meaning "valley" or "ravine." This suggests that the name may have referred to a fortified dwelling or farm located in a valley or ravine.
Rubalcada is a relatively uncommon surname, and there are few historical records documenting its early usage. However, some scholars have found references to individuals bearing variations of the name in medieval documents from the Iberian Peninsula. One such example is a land grant from the 13th century, which mentions a person named "Rodrigo de Rubalcada" as a landowner in the region of Granada.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname Rubalcada itself dates back to the 15th century, when a certain "Juan de Rubalcada" was listed as a resident of the town of Córdoba in a tax record from 1487. This document provides valuable insight into the geographical distribution of the name during that time period.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the surname Rubalcada. In the 16th century, a priest named Francisco de Rubalcada played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in the New World, accompanying Spanish conquistadors to the Americas. Another figure, Miguel de Rubalcada (1602-1674), was a renowned poet and playwright during the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 18th century, a prominent military officer named Tomás Rubalcada (1728-1798) served in the Spanish army and participated in various campaigns against the Moors in North Africa. His exploits were documented in several historical accounts of the time.
Another notable individual was Juana Rubalcada (1804-1889), a philanthropist and educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in her hometown of Seville. Her efforts were recognized by the Spanish Crown, and she was awarded a prestigious honor for her contributions to education.
While the surname Rubalcada has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries with strong Spanish colonial ties. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, and its historical significance is primarily associated with its Spanish heritage and the individuals who bore it throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubalcada
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubalcada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubalcada 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 Rubalcada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.2% · 104
- White6.1% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubalcada
Rubalcada 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,852 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,852 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 Rubalcada 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 | #148,347 | #146,495 | 1.2% |
| Count | 111 | 114 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubalcada bearers went from 111 to 114 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,852 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #146,495.
FAQ
Rubalcada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubalcada?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Rubalcada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Rubalcada?
Rubalcada ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Rubalcada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Rubalcada.
Has Rubalcada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubalcada went from 111 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubalcada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubalcada, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rubalcada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubalcada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.2%), White (6.1%), 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 Rubalcada (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 Rubalcada mean?
A Sephardic Jewish surname possibly derived from a Spanish place name or occupation. 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 Rubalcada (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 Rubalcada?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Rubalcada at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.