Find out how popular the last name Rubenstein is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rubenstein.

Rubenstein, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rubenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rubenstein in America

Rubenstein is the 6936th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rubenstein surname appeared 4,833 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rubenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rubenstein to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rubenstein

The surname Rubenstein originated in Germany and is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin. It likely derives from the Yiddish term "Rubinshtein" which translates to "precious stone" or "ruby stone." The name could have been given as an occupational name for someone who worked with or sold rubies, or as a descriptive name relating to a person's hair color or complexion.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. Historical records from the late 15th century mention a Joseph Rubinstein residing in Frankfurt am Main. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various German towns such as Nuremberg, Worms, and Mainz.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Rubenstein was Rabbi Shlomo Rubinstein, who lived in Krakow, Poland, in the late 16th century. He was a renowned Talmudic scholar and author of several works on Jewish law and philosophy.

Another notable bearer of the name was David Rubenstein, a Polish-born banker and philanthropist who lived from 1844 to 1921. He co-founded the banking firm of Rubenstein, Seligman & Co. in New York City and was instrumental in financing various industrial and transportation projects in the United States.

In the 19th century, the name Rubenstein was found in various parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and Poland. Yuri Rubinstein, a Russian mathematician and logician, was born in 1892 and made significant contributions to the field of mathematical logic.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Rubenstein was the American pianist and composer Arthur Rubinstein, who was born in 1887 in Lodz, Poland, and died in 1982. He was renowned for his interpretations of the works of Chopin, Brahms, and other classical composers.

Another notable bearer of the name was Helena Rubinstein, a Polish-American businesswoman and cosmetics entrepreneur. Born in 1872, she founded the cosmetics company that bears her name and is credited with revolutionizing the modern cosmetics industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rubenstein

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rubenstein.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rubenstein was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rubenstein has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rubenstein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rubenstein, please contact us.

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