Explore the Family Name Rab
The meaning of Rab
1. German: variant of Raab (see Rabe). 2. Hungarian: status name from rab ‘slave, prisoner’. 3. Czech (mainly Ráb): nickname from Middle High German rab(e) ‘raven’ or an altered form of the German name Raab. Alternatively, it may be from the same (archaic) word as the Hungarian name above. 4. Muslim (Indian subcontinent): from the Arabic personal name Rabb ‘lord, sustainer’. Ar-Rabb is an attribute of Allah (see the Koran 1:2: ‘All praise belongs to Allah, the lord of the universe.’), giving rise to the compound name ʿAbd al-Rabb, ʿAbdul-Rabb, ʿAbdur-Rabb ‘servant of the Lord’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rab in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Rab saw an upward trend from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Rab ranked 64,572 in terms of commonality among surnames, with a count of 288, and a proportion per 100k of 0.11. A decade later, in 2010, its rank improved to 59,901 with an increased count of 337, and maintained a proportion per 100k of 0.11. The change in rank and count represents a positive growth of 7.23% and 17.01% respectively, indicating that more people identify with the surname Rab.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #64,572 | #59,901 | 7.23% |
| Count | 288 | 337 | 17.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rab
In terms of ethnic identity, the distribution varied over the same period. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, in 2000, the majority of individuals with the surname Rab identified as White (63.19%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (28.82%), Hispanic (2.78%), and those identifying with two or more races (4.17%). By 2010, however, there was significant growth in the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (43.32%, a 50.31% increase) and Hispanic (4.15%, a 49.28% increase). On the other hand, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased to 47.18%, a decline of 25.34%. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying with two or more races saw a slight decrease, settling at 3.56%. For the first time, some individuals identified as Black (1.78%), while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained unchanged.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.19% | 47.18% | -25.34% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 28.82% | 43.32% | 50.31% |
| Hispanic | 2.78% | 4.15% | 49.28% |
| Two or More Races | 4.17% | 3.56% | -14.63% |
| Black | 0% | 1.78% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |