Given name & surname
Rubens
Rubens is a surname. It is used in English and Portuguese.
Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Rubens isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1983. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rubens through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 159
- 159 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 15 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −82%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 15 in 2016. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 676 as a first name in 2020; 813 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rubens’s family of names
In Portuguese usage, Rubens has a diminutive in Rubinho. In Portuguese usage, Rubens has a conventional equivalent in the English form Reuben. In German usage, Rubens as a surname has a related form in Ruben.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rubens has relatives in 4 languages.
5 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Rubens
- Rubens BarrichelloBrazilian racing driverborn 1972
- Rubens de FalcoBrazilian actor (1931–2008)
- Rubens BertogliatiSwiss cyclistborn 1979
- Rubens SambuezaArgentine association football playerborn 1984
- RubensBrazilian footballer (1928-1991)
- Rubens Pealepainter from the United States (1784-1865)
- Rubens MinelliBrazilian footballer and manager (1928–2023)
- Rubens FadiniItalian professional footballer (1927-1949)
- Rubens Augusto de Souza Espínolabishop of Roman Catholic church from Brazil (1928-2017)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rubens, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.