Rubalcava
A Spanish surname likely tied to a place-name, probably describing someone from or near a distinctive rocky or rough terrain.
The #6,605 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,184 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rubalcava is a Spanish surname that appears to be locational, built from an old place-name rather than from a personal characteristic. The ending -cava is likely related to a field or hollow, while the first element may reflect a regional place name or an older descriptive term that has become opaque over time. In surnames of this type, the whole form usually meant someone identified by residence or origin from a particular spot.
History
The name is found among Spanish-speaking families and is especially familiar in Hispanic surname traditions of the Americas. As with many Iberian locational surnames, it would have spread through migration from a local place-name into wider family use. The exact original locality behind the name is not certain from general evidence alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Spanish surnames ending in place-name elements often preserve geography that has long since changed or disappeared.