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Rubin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Rubin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Italy
Israel

The Rubin surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Rubin is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Rubin was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging medieval society.

Early Origins of the Rubin family

The surname Rubin 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 Rubin family

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

Rubin Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Rubin include Rubin, Rubein, Rubinus, Ruben, Ruebin, Rubinich, Rubinig, Rubinick and many more.

Early Notables of the Rubin family

Prominent among members of the name Rubin in this period include

Sigmund von Rubinich, who was the mayor of the town Villach near Salzburg

Rubin Ranking

In the United States, the name Rubin is the 1,883^rd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rubin is ranked the 4,909^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Rubin migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Rubin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Rubin, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 3
D Rubin, aged 55, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
D. Rubin, who arrived in New Orleans in 1829
Peter Rubin, who arrived at the port of Mobile, Alabama in 1832
Peter Rubin, aged 34, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1832 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rubin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rubin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Catherine Regina Rubin, who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752

Contemporary Notables of the name Rubin (post 1700) +

Theodore Isaac Rubin (1923-2019), American psychiatrist and author
Andrew Harold Rubin (1946-2015), American actor, best known for his role in Police Academy
Tibor "Ted" Rubin (1929-2015), Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War as a U.S. Infantry soldier and POW
Stanley Creamer Rubin (1917-2014), American screenwriter and film and television producer, recipient of the first Emmy Award in 1949
Alan Rubin (1943-2011), American musician
Karl Rubin (b. 1956), American mathematician awarded the Cole Prize for Number Theory in 1992
James Philip Rubin (b. 1960), United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from 1997 to 2000
Robert Edward Rubin (b. 1938), American business executive and government official
Amparo Rubín (1955-2024), born María Amparo Rubín Tagle, was a Mexican singer
Barry M. Rubin (1950-2014), American-born Israeli expert on terrorism and Middle Eastern affairs
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Rubin family +

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Arnaud David Rubin (1960-1988), Belgian Passenger from Waterloo, Belgium, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html