2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rubesh
A surname possibly derived from the Hebrew name Reuben.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Rubesh. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubesh 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Rubesh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubesh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubesh
The surname Rubesh is believed to have originated in the region of Eastern Europe, specifically in what is now modern-day Ukraine and Russia. Its roots can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is likely derived from the Slavic term "rub," which means "edge" or "border," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near the outskirts or borders of a settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rubesh can be found in a historical document from the 16th century, wherein a certain Ivan Rubesh is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Kyiv, Ukraine. This document provides valuable insight into the presence and significance of this surname during that era.
In the 17th century, the name Rubesh was also documented in various church records and census data from the Russian Empire. Notably, a certain Pyotr Rubesh, born in 1632, is recorded as having been a respected merchant and landowner in the city of Novgorod.
As the centuries progressed, the Rubesh surname spread across Eastern Europe, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Rubezh, Rubezhsky, and Rubeshev. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or local naming conventions.
One notable figure bearing the Rubesh surname was Mikhail Rubesh, a renowned military commander who served in the Russian Imperial Army during the 18th century. Born in 1720 in the city of Smolensk, he was known for his bravery and tactical prowess in various battles against the Ottoman Empire and Sweden.
Another individual of historical significance was Natalya Rubesh, a prominent philanthropist and patron of the arts who lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the late 19th century. She was instrumental in establishing several cultural institutions and supporting various artistic endeavors.
In the early 20th century, Andrei Rubesh, born in 1892 in Odesa, Ukraine, gained recognition as a respected academic and scholar of Slavic languages and literature. His contributions to the field of linguistics were widely acclaimed, and he served as a professor at various prestigious universities throughout his career.
It is worth noting that the surname Rubesh has also been associated with certain place names, particularly in regions of Eastern Europe. For instance, the village of Rubezhnoe in eastern Ukraine is believed to have derived its name from the Slavic term "rub," further reinforcing the potential origins of the Rubesh surname.
Throughout its history, the Rubesh surname has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, including landowners, merchants, military figures, academics, and philanthropists, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and societal fabric of Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubesh
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubesh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubesh 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 Rubesh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubesh
Rubesh 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-12 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,874 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 6,874 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 Rubesh 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 | #149,395 | #156,269 | -4.6% |
| Count | 110 | 98 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubesh bearers went from 110 to 98 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 6,874 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,269.
FAQ
Rubesh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubesh?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Rubesh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Rubesh?
Rubesh ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Rubesh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rubesh.
Has Rubesh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubesh went from 110 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubesh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubesh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Rubesh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubesh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Rubesh (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 Rubesh mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Hebrew name Reuben. 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 Rubesh (0.03 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 Rubesh?
Find out how many people have the last name Rubesh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.