2000
#2,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,726
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.72
Uncommon Last name
Babb
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname meaning "baby" or "young child."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,235 Americans carry the last name Babb. That puts it at #2,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Babb surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Babb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,078
Census rank
#2,824
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,414 bearers of the surname Babb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Babb, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Babb
The surname BABB has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "babba," meaning "father" or "ancestor." It was initially used as a nickname or patronymic, referring to the son or descendant of someone with that name.
The earliest recorded instances of the BABB surname can be found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a certain William Babb is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, compiled in 1279, also feature an entry for a man named John Babb.
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conquer, there are no direct mentions of the BABB surname. However, there are references to places with similar names, such as Babbingley in Norfolk, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname.
One of the earliest prominent individuals with the BABB surname was Sir John Babb (1470-1545), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, England. He served as Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset in 1520 and played a significant role in the local community.
Another notable figure was Captain Thomas Babb (1617-1689), an English navigator and explorer who sailed to the West Indies and the Americas in the 17th century. He is credited with charting several islands and coastal regions in the Caribbean.
In the literary world, the poet and playwright Richard Babb (1763-1818) gained recognition for his works, including the play "The Bride of Abydos" and the poem "The Minstrel's Curse."
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Babb (1808-1892) was an influential educator and philanthropist from West Virginia. She founded the Woodburn Female Seminary, one of the earliest institutions of higher education for women in the region.
Lastly, Sir Walter Babb (1885-1962), a British civil engineer and public servant, made significant contributions to the development of infrastructure in India and other parts of the British Empire during the early 20th century.
Overall, the BABB surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with roots in England and a diverse array of notable individuals who have carried the name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Babb
Among Census respondents with the surname Babb, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Babb bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Babb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 9,703
- Black or African American12.4% · 1,537
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 521
- Two or more races4.1% · 511
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 66
Timeline
Historical Census data for Babb
Babb appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,794
+68 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 4.34
Rank movement Down 211 places
2020
#2,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,414
-380 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 4.15
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,609 | 12,726 | 4.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,820 | 12,794 | 4.34 | +68 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 211 places |
| 2020 | #2,824 | 12,414 | 4.15 | -380 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 4 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Babb surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,820 | #2,824 | -0.1% |
| Count | 12,794 | 12,414 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.34 | 4.15 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Babb bearers went from 12,794 to 12,414 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,820 to #2,824.
FAQ
Babb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Babb?
Name Census estimates that about 14,235 living Americans carry the surname Babb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,078 residents.
How common is Babb?
Babb ranks #2,824 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,414 people with the surname Babb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Babb.
Has Babb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Babb went from 12,794 recorded bearers to 12,414. That is a decrease of 380 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,820 to #2,824.
What does the Census say about the background of Babb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Babb, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Babb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (9,703 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Babb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (12.4%), Hispanic (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Babb (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Babb mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname meaning "baby" or "young child." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Babb (4.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Babb?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Babb at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.