2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rubira
Of Italian origin, a locational surname derived from the name of a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rubira. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubira 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rubira in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubira
The surname Rubira originates from Spain, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "rubio," meaning blonde or fair-haired. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with distinctive fair hair coloring.
Early records indicate that the Rubira surname was prominent in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, where it gained recognition among local noble families. One notable historical reference is found in the "Llibre de Repartiment," a medieval manuscript detailing the distribution of lands and properties in Valencia after the Christian conquest in the 13th century. Several instances of the Rubira name appear in this document, indicating their presence in the area during that time period.
The earliest known bearer of the Rubira surname is Juan Rubira, a celebrated poet and scholar who lived in Barcelona during the late 15th century. His literary works, including a collection of sonnets dedicated to the Virgin Mary, have been preserved and studied by scholars over the centuries.
In the 17th century, the Rubira family established itself in the town of Picassent, near Valencia. Here, they acquired land and built a prominent estate known as the "Masía de los Rubira," which remains a significant historical landmark in the region.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Rubira surname was Jaime Rubira y Bordoy, a prominent lawyer and politician who lived in Palma de Mallorca during the late 19th century. He played a crucial role in shaping the legal and political landscape of the Balearic Islands during his lifetime.
Historically, the Rubira name has also been associated with various place names and locations in Spain. For instance, the "Calle Rubira" (Rubira Street) in Valencia is a testament to the surname's deep roots in the area. Additionally, there are records of a small village called "Rubira" in the province of Zaragoza, which may have derived its name from early settlers with the same surname.
Throughout the centuries, several other notable individuals have carried the Rubira surname, including Miguel Rubira, a renowned artist from Barcelona in the 18th century, known for his intricate religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches across Catalonia. Josefa Rubira, a celebrated opera singer from Valencia in the early 20th century, also gained widespread acclaim for her performances on prestigious stages throughout Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubira
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubira 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 Rubira surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.4% · 98
- White14.3% · 17
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubira
Rubira 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 190 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Down 190 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 3,413 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 Rubira 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 | #146,201 | #142,788 | 2.3% |
| Count | 113 | 119 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubira bearers went from 113 to 119 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 3,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rubira surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubira?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rubira. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rubira?
Rubira ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Rubira. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Rubira.
Has Rubira become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubira went from 113 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubira?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubira, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Rubira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubira appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.4%), White (14.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Rubira (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 Rubira mean?
Of Italian origin, a locational surname derived from the name of a place. 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 Rubira (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 Rubira?
Want to know how common the surname Rubira is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.