2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rubo
A surname likely derived from a Romanian place name or occupational designation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Rubo. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rubo 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Rubo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rubo
The surname RUBO has its origins in Italy, with records indicating it first appeared during the 15th century in the region of Tuscany. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rubo," meaning "blackberry bush," potentially referring to someone who lived near or worked with blackberry bushes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUBO surname can be found in a 1487 land deed from the town of Siena, where a certain Giovanni RUBO was listed as a landowner. This suggests the name had already been established in the area by that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the RUBO surname was Luca RUBO (1513-1592), a renowned painter from Florence who specialized in religious works and frescoes. His most famous work was a fresco depicting the Last Supper, which can still be seen in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.
Another prominent individual with the RUBO name was Pietro RUBO (1620-1694), a Jesuit priest and scholar from Pisa. He was known for his extensive writings on theology and philosophy, and his works were widely circulated throughout Europe during his lifetime.
The RUBO surname also has ties to the village of Rubo, located in the province of Ravenna in northern Italy. It is possible that the name originated from this location, with early bearers taking the name as a way to identify their place of origin.
In the 19th century, a notable figure with the RUBO surname was Antonio RUBO (1842-1917), a political activist and journalist from Naples. He was a vocal advocate for Italian unification and played a significant role in the Risorgimento movement that ultimately led to the formation of the modern Italian state.
As the RUBO surname spread across Italy and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Rubbo, Rubbi, and Rubini. These variations were often the result of regional dialects or clerical errors in recording the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rubo
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rubo 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 Rubo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino13.7% · 16
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rubo
Rubo 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 129 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 Rubo 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 | #144,141 | #144,270 | -0.1% |
| Count | 115 | 117 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rubo bearers went from 115 to 117 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #144,270.
FAQ
Rubo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rubo?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Rubo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Rubo?
Rubo ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Rubo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Rubo.
Has Rubo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rubo went from 115 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Rubo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rubo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rubo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rubo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (13.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rubo (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 Rubo mean?
A surname likely derived from a Romanian place name or occupational designation. 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 Rubo (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 many people share the surname Rubo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.