2000
#17,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,487
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Rubi
A Spanish and Catalan surname derived from the word "rubio," meaning "blond" or "fair-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,654 Americans carry the last name Rubi. That puts it at #12,739 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubi 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
2.7K
1 in 129,146
Census rank
#12,739
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,314 bearers of the surname Rubi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12739th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubi
The surname RUBI is of Spanish origin, originating in the regions of Catalonia and Aragon during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "rubeus," meaning red or reddish, likely referring to a person's hair color or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RUBI can be found in the Llibre del Repartiment de Valencia, a 13th-century manuscript documenting the distribution of lands and properties in the newly conquered Kingdom of Valencia. This suggests that individuals bearing the surname RUBI may have been among the settlers or conquerors of the region during that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname RUBI was Pere Rubi, a Catalan merchant and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating trade agreements between the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile. He was also involved in the establishment of the Consulate of the Sea, an important maritime court in Barcelona.
During the 15th century, the name RUBI appeared in various records and documents across Spain, including the Archives of the Crown of Aragon. One notable example is Jaume Rubi, a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Valencia, such as the Silk Exchange (Lonja de la Seda).
In the 16th century, the RUBI surname was found in various parts of the Spanish Empire, as explorers and settlers carried the name to the Americas and other colonies. One such individual was Juan Rubi, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
Another notable figure with the surname RUBI was Jerónimo Rubi, a Jesuit missionary and explorer who led an expedition through the present-day American Southwest in the late 18th century. His detailed accounts and maps of the region were instrumental in the Spanish colonization efforts.
As the RUBI surname spread throughout Spain and its territories, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Rubí, Rubio, and Rubies, reflecting regional linguistic differences and preferences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubi
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubi 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 Rubi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.9% · 1,873
- White9.1% · 210
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.5% · 196
- Two or more races0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubi
Rubi 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
#14,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
+583 bearers (+39.2%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 3,041 places
2020
#12,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
+244 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 1,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,475 | 1,487 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,434 | 2,070 | 0.70 | +583 bearers (+39.2%) | Up 3,041 places |
| 2020 | #12,739 | 2,314 | 0.77 | +244 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 1,695 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 Rubi 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 | #14,434 | #12,739 | 11.7% |
| Count | 2,070 | 2,314 | 11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.77 | 10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubi bearers went from 2,070 to 2,314 (+11.8% change). The surname moved up 1,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,434 to #12,739.
FAQ
Rubi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,654 living Americans carry the surname Rubi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,146 residents.
How common is Rubi?
Rubi ranks #12,739 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,314 people with the surname Rubi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rubi.
Has Rubi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubi went from 2,070 recorded bearers to 2,314. That is an increase of 244 (+11.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,434 to #12,739.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). 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 Rubi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (1,873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.9%), White (9.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.5%). 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 Rubi (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 Rubi mean?
A Spanish and Catalan surname derived from the word "rubio," meaning "blond" or "fair-haired." 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 Rubi (0.77 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 share the surname Rubi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.