Surname Rubinowitsch - Meaning and Origin

Rubinowitsch: What does the surname Rubinowitsch mean?

The last name Rubinowitsch is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. It is a compound name composed of "Rubin", which is derived from the Hebrew word "Reuven" (the name of Jacob's first son in the Old Testament), and "witsch", a suffix of Slavic origin typically denoting "son of". So, Rubinowitsch could mean "son of Rubin". The name Rubin itself means "behold, a son" in Hebrew. Additionally, "Rubin" is the German, Russian, and Polish word for "ruby", so another possible interpretation of the surname could be 'son of the ruby', possibly denoting a jeweler in the family's past. This surname, like many Ashkenazi Jewish surnames, was likely adopted during the 18th or 19th century when the governments of Central and Eastern Europe mandated that Jewish families adopt fixed, inheritable surnames. As with all surnames, its specific meaning may vary based on the family's individual history.

Rubinowitsch: Where does the name Rubinowitsch come from?

The last name Rubinowitsch is most common today in Eastern Europe, particularly in the countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia. It is the German spelling of the original Russian surname Rubanovich, and it is often seen as a Russian-Jewish name, as many Jews in Russia have this last name. It is very rarely seen in Western Europe or North America, though there is a small presence in both places.

In Russia, the pronunciation of Rubinowitsch may vary depending on the region. In some parts of Russia, it is pronounced "ruh-bin-oh-vitch," while in others it is pronounced "ruh-bin-uh-vitch." Ukrainian and other East Slavic languages tend to use the variant "ruh-bin-uh-vits," while the Belarusian version is slightly different, ending with an "af" sound at the end.

The surname Rubinowitsch can be found in records dating back to the 17th century, when there is evidence of a Jewish family with this last name living in Baranovičy (now in Belarus). It has been a prominent surname in the Russian-Jewish community ever since, and several notable people have been connected with it, including Albert Rubinovich, a Soviet-era scientist and literary figure.

Today, the last name Rubinowitsch is most widely seen in the countries and regions of Eastern Europe, though there are some people bearing this name in the United States and other countries in the West.

Variations of the surname Rubinowitsch

The surname Rubinowitsch is originally of Jewish origin and is derived from the Hebrew word for red, ‘ruben’. Its variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include:

• Rubińowicz – main spelling of the original surname

• Rubiniński – derived from the spelling of the original surname

• Rubinovitz – a more simplified spelling of the surname

• Rubino – derived from the same Hebrew word for red

• Rubin – a short version of the original surname

• Rubinstein – derived from Stein, which means stone in German

• Rubinsztajn – a Yiddish version of the original surname

• Rubinovich – derived from the Russian spelling of the original surname

• Rabinowitz – derived from the ancestor Avraham ben Ruben

• Rubinstein - derived from Stein, which means stone in German

• Rubenyte – derived from the Lithuanian spelling of the original surname

• Reubinow – derived from the Polish spelling of the original surname

• Rubinow – derived from the Ukrainian spelling of the original surname

• Reuben – a Biblical variant of the surname

• Rubinsohn – derived from the German spelling of the original surname

• Rubins – derived from the English spelling of the original surname

• Reubenstein – derived from the combination of ‘Reuben’ and ‘Stein’

• Rubinoff – a more simplified version of the original surname

Overall, the surname Rubinowitsch has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin that are derived from the Hebrew word for ‘red’. These include names with different spellings in other languages, as well as Biblical and German versions.

Famous people with the name Rubinowitsch

• David Rubinstein: American entrepreneur, chairman and co-founder of the Carlyle Group, an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation.
• Ilya Rubinowitsch: Russian chess grandmaster and former world junior champion.
• Helmut Rubinowitsch: German World War II flying ace credited with 56 aerial victories.
• Nicole Rubinowitsch-Nestor: Belgian artist and fashion designer.
• Alexander Rubinstein: Russian chess International Master.
• Constantin Rubinowitsch: Ukrainian-born Russian Revolutionary Workers' Party leader and Bolshevik agent.
• Javakhir Rubinovitsch: Azerbaijani-born Soviet politician.
• Valery Rubinovitsch: Russian football player.
• Curt Rubinowitsch: German-born Jewish-American artist and sculptor best known for his works in wood, bronze, stone, and clay.
• Paul Rubinowitsch: Czechoslovakian-born American painter and portrait artist.

Other surnames

Rubinowitz