Show ContentsReubens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bavaria, Germany is the ancestral home of the Reubens family. The Reubens surname evolved as a local name. It is a name for a family that lived in Bavaria, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging medieval society.

Early Origins of the Reubens family

The surname Reubens was first found in Bavaria, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging mediaeval society. The name became prominent as many branches of the family founded separate houses and acquired estates in various regions, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. In the Middle Ages, the word "Rubin" referred to a type of gem. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Richter Rubynus of Bruenn in 1240 and Nicolas Rubein (Rubin) of Munich in 1343. Also, a popular medieval minstrel of Tyrol bore the name Rubin. He was of the minor nobility, had his home in Merano, wrote 22 songs, and participated in the crusade of 1228.

Early History of the Reubens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reubens research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1752 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Reubens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reubens Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Reubens include Rubin, Rubein, Rubinus, Ruben, Ruebin, Rubinich, Rubinig, Rubinick and many more.

Early Notables of the Reubens family

More information is included under the topic Early Reubens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Reubens migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Reubens or a variant listed above:

Reubens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Reubens, who arrived in New York in 1835 1
  • Mr. Aaron Reubens, (b. 1845), aged 20, Barbadian clerk traveling aboard the ship "Humming Bird" arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1865 2


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Barbados archives retrieved 2nd November 2021 from https://attheBarbadosarchives.wordpress.com/2003/07/18/Barbados-heritage-passenger-lists-and-Barbados-departures/


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