NameCensus.

UK surname

Ruben

A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Reuven, meaning "behold, a son" or "vision of a son."

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Ruben surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, West Derby and Bourn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Barnet and Welwyn Hatfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ruben is 144 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 182.4%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

2016

144 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ruben had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 129 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Ruben surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ruben surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ruben surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ruben over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19 #29,904
1861 historical 34 #29,685
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 109 #26,872
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Rubens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, West Derby, Bourn, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Barnet, Welwyn Hatfield, Kensington and Chelsea and Bury. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 West Derby Lancashire
3 Bourn Cambridgeshire
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 005 Scarborough
2 Barnet 032 Barnet
3 Welwyn Hatfield 014 Welwyn Hatfield
4 Kensington and Chelsea 010 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Bury 026 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ruben

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ruben surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ruben

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ruben, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Ruben surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Ruben household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Ruben is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ruben is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ruben falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ruben is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ruben, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ruben

The surname Ruben has its origins in the Hebrew given name Reuben, which is derived from the Hebrew phrase "re'u ven" meaning "behold a son". The name can be traced back to ancient Israel, where it was borne by one of the twelve sons of the biblical patriarch Jacob.

In the Middle Ages, the name Ruben began to be adopted as a surname among Jewish communities in various parts of Europe. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Memorbuch, a 14th-century Jewish memorial book from Nuremberg, Germany, which mentions a certain Ruben ben Abraham.

As Jewish communities migrated and settled in different regions, the surname Ruben took on various spellings and pronunciations. In Spanish-speaking countries, it often appeared as Rubén, while in Eastern Europe it was more commonly spelled as Rubin or Rubinstein.

Notable individuals with the surname Ruben include the Spanish painter Juan Ruben (1558-1625), who was renowned for his religious paintings and worked extensively in Seville. In the field of music, there was the Russian-American composer Viktor Rubin (1923-1996), who composed several symphonies and concertos.

Another prominent figure was the German-American philosopher Isaak Iselin Ruben (1786-1855), who played a significant role in the early days of the American Philosophical Society. In the realm of literature, the German author and playwright Margrete Ruben (1889-1980) was known for her plays and novels exploring themes of gender and identity.

The British mathematician Walter Ruben (1899-1982) made valuable contributions to the fields of mathematical analysis and number theory. He held academic positions at various institutions, including the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Ruben has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history, reflecting its enduring legacy as a Jewish surname with ancient roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ruben families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ruben surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 13 Rubens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.61x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 13 2.61x
Yorkshire 9 1.83x
Essex 8 8.15x
Lancashire 8 1.36x
Cambridgeshire 5 15.88x
Kent 3 1.77x
Lincolnshire 2 2.52x
Durham 1 0.68x
Lanarkshire 1 0.62x
Northamptonshire 1 2.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 11 Rubens recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.93x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 11 50.93x
Leeds 9 32.35x
West Ham 8 36.92x
Kirkdale 6 60.42x
Hatley East 4 20000.00x
Folkestone 2 60.79x
Great Grimsby 2 39.60x
St George In East 2 59.17x
West Derby 2 11.59x
Cambuslang 1 61.73x
Gillingham 1 28.57x
Knapwell 1 3333.33x
Sunderland 1 38.31x
Wansford 1 5000.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ruben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Benzina 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Leah 1
Lily 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Susannah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ruben surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Edward 2
Henry 2
Isaac 2
Morris 2
Richard 2
Alf 1
Alfred 1
Davis 1
Fred. 1
George 1
Harris 1
Hoseph 1
Isidore 1
Israel 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Lazarus 1
M. 1
Moah 1
Moses 1
Samuel 1
Samul 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ruben households.

FAQ

Ruben surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ruben surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Ruben surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ruben surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Ruben a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Ruben surname mean?

A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Reuven, meaning "behold, a son" or "vision of a son."

What does the Ruben map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ruben bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.