Rabun
Sharp-sighted or keen of vision, a masculine name of uncertain origin.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Rabun. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rabun today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rabun births was 1921 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rabun. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rabun is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rabuns were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rabun. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1921
7 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1953 SSA rank
#4,226
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Rabun: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rabun from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Rabun remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rabun by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rabun during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rabuns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rabun
The name Rabun has its origins in the Javanese language, which is spoken primarily on the Indonesian island of Java. The name can be traced back to the late 15th century, when the Javanese kingdom of Majapahit was at its peak.
Rabun is derived from the Javanese word "rabu," which means "Wednesday." It is believed that the name was originally given to children born on that day of the week, as the Javanese people considered it auspicious. Over time, the name evolved from its literal meaning and became a standalone given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rabun can be found in the Babad Tanah Jawi, a historical chronicle of Java written in the 16th century. The text mentions a prominent figure named Rabun Dipanagara, a military leader who fought against the Dutch colonial forces in the early 19th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Rabun Syah, a Sumatran prince who ruled the Sultanate of Palembang in the 17th century. He is credited with strengthening the kingdom's defenses and expanding its trade relations with other regions.
In the realm of literature, there was Rabun Suwandi, a celebrated Javanese poet who lived during the late 19th century. His works, which often explored themes of love and spirituality, have been widely studied and anthologized in Indonesia.
Moving to more recent times, Rabun Samosir was a prominent Indonesian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Rabun Sutrisno, an Indonesian military officer who served as the country's vice president from 1993 to 1998. He played a key role in the transition to democracy after the fall of the Suharto regime.
While the name Rabun has its roots in the Javanese culture, it has also gained recognition beyond Indonesia, particularly in regions with significant Indonesian diaspora communities.
People
Rabun + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rabun as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rabun: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rabun?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rabun going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Rabun a common name?
We classify Rabun as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rabun most popular?
The single biggest year for Rabun was 1921, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rabun is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rabun in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rabun a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rabun in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rabun still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rabun in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rabun can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Rabun?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.