2000
#3,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,955
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.32
Uncommon Last name
Ruby
A precious gemstone or a bright red color, used as a descriptive surname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,030 Americans carry the last name Ruby. That puts it at #3,938 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruby 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ruby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,173
Census rank
#3,938
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,747 bearers of the surname Ruby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3938th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruby
The surname RUBY is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "rubi" or "rubiz," which means "ruby" and ultimately comes from the Latin word "rubeus," meaning "red." This name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a reddish complexion or red hair.
Historical records show that the earliest known bearers of the RUBY surname were from the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England. The name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where a Robert Rubi is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273 also contain entries for individuals with the surname RUBY.
In the 13th century, the RUBY name appeared in various spellings, including Rubie, Rubey, and Rubee. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The surname was also sometimes associated with certain place names, such as Rubi in Leicestershire or Ruby in Yorkshire, although the connection between the surname and these locations is not entirely clear.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the RUBY surname was Sir John Ruby, a knight from Yorkshire who lived during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was William Ruby, a merchant from London who was active in the early 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the RUBY surname continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and London. Some notable individuals from this period include:
1. George Ruby (c. 1560-1625), an English clergyman and author from Yorkshire.
2. Thomas Ruby (c. 1580-1641), a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London.
3. Elizabeth Ruby (c. 1620-1670), a Puritan writer and poet from Lincolnshire.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the RUBY surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Some notable bearers from this period include:
1. John Ruby (1760-1838), a Scottish soldier and military engineer who served in the British Army.
2. William Ruby (1798-1871), an English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London.
3. Mary Ruby (1825-1891), an Irish-born writer and educator who founded several schools in the United States.
While the RUBY surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including knights, merchants, clergymen, writers, architects, and soldiers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruby
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruby 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 Ruby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 7,527
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 573
- Two or more races3.7% · 324
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 151
- Black or African American1.6% · 138
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruby
Ruby 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
#3,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,091
+136 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Down 258 places
2020
#3,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,747
-344 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.93
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,646 | 8,955 | 3.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,904 | 9,091 | 3.08 | +136 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 258 places |
| 2020 | #3,938 | 8,747 | 2.93 | -344 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 34 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 Ruby 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 | #3,904 | #3,938 | -0.9% |
| Count | 9,091 | 8,747 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.08 | 2.93 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruby bearers went from 9,091 to 8,747 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,904 to #3,938.
FAQ
Ruby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruby?
Name Census estimates that about 10,030 living Americans carry the surname Ruby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,173 residents.
How common is Ruby?
Ruby ranks #3,938 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,747 people with the surname Ruby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,030), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ruby.
Has Ruby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruby went from 9,091 recorded bearers to 8,747. That is a decrease of 344 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,904 to #3,938.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ruby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (7,527 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Ruby (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 Ruby mean?
A precious gemstone or a bright red color, used as a descriptive surname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. 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 Ruby (2.93 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 have the surname Ruby?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.