Gibb
A variant form of the English surname derived from the given name Gilbert.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Gibb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gibb today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gibb births was 1953 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gibb. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gibb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1953
6 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1990 SSA rank
#8,582
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Gibb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gibb from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gibb 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 Gibb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gibb
The name Gibb is an English given name derived from the Old English word "gib" or "gib-catt," which means "tomcat" or "male cat." The name's origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century AD.
This name was likely used as a nickname or a descriptive term initially, referring to someone who exhibited cat-like qualities or behaviors, such as agility, stealth, or independence. Over time, the name Gibb became a standalone given name, particularly popular among English families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gibb can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086 AD. The book mentions a person named "Gib" who held lands in Hertfordshire, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gibb. One of the most famous was Gibb Famish (1531-1592), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1584 until his death. Another prominent figure was Gibb Ralston (1670-1743), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
In the field of literature, Gibb Trelawney (1792-1872) was an English novelist and travel writer, best known for his semi-autobiographical work "Adventures of a Younger Son." The name Gibb also appeared in the arts, with Gibb Whittaker (1855-1919), an English painter renowned for his landscapes and seascapes.
Moving into more recent times, Gibb Milford (1914-1998) was a British actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the popular series "The Avengers" and "Upstairs, Downstairs." His career spanned over six decades, and he was widely respected for his versatility and professionalism.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the name Gibb throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and the diverse fields in which it has been represented.
People
Gibb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gibb as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gibb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gibb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gibb 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Gibb a common name?
We classify Gibb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gibb most popular?
The single biggest year for Gibb was 1953, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gibb is about 55 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 Gibb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gibb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gibb 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 Gibb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gibb 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 Gibb 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 Gibb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.