Formerly a small hamlet within the parish of Whitchurch, Rhiwbina was developed throughout the twentieth century, and is now a separate ward.

This records that Rhiwallon, son of Rhan, gave up his "Rhiwbrien" property and that it be[clarification needed] transferred to the Bishop in 1040.

The modern name, Rhiwbina is first documented in a 1630 survey of the Cantref of Senghenydd; it states that the ground on which the ruins of Castell Coch stood belonged to "Henry Morgan of Rhiwbyna".

The suggestions for pina, from the local Welsh dialect form of pinau (pine-trees) and for pannier (referring to the panniers of the mules carrying iron through the village from Caerphilly to Cardiff) have both been rejected as the name appears to predate both ironworking in Caerphilly and the introduction of pine trees to the area.

To better reflect the original and new pronunciations, the village is one of only eight settlements in Wales to have two standardised Welsh spellings, Rhiwbina and Rhiwbeina.

[4] Near the summit of the Wenallt, to the north of Rhiwbina, are the remains of an oval encampment probably dating from the Iron Age, the earliest evidence of settlement in the area.

[6] The last native Welsh Prince of Morgannwg (Glamorgan), Iestyn ap Gwrgant, may have been killed in a battle north of Rhiwbina towards the end of the 11th century, near the present-day Butchers Arms public house.

[citation needed] The business was closed on the retirement of Cliff Smart in 1989 and the site is now occupied by the development of Clos Yr Ardd.

Rhiwbina village centre is small compared to nearby Whitchurch and Birchgrove, but has in recent years undergone a revival, and is now a popular shopping destination for gifts and art.

To the north of Rhiwbina is a parade of shops on Heol Llanishen Fach, built in the 1960s to serve an extensive area of new housing.

[9] Beulah United Reformed Church was originally a Welsh-speaking congregationalist chapel, but the services turned to English in 1898.

Rhiwbina has been the home of many notable figures in Welsh-language culture, including W. J. Gruffydd, R. T. Jenkins, Iorwerth Peate and Kate Roberts.

[11] Rhiwbina RFC, the local rugby union club operates sides from Under 7 to Under 16, plus a youth and three senior teams.