Bibbs last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Bibbs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bibbs.

Meaning of Bibbs

An English occupational surname for a person who wore a bib as part of their job or uniform.

Bibbs, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bibbs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bibbs in America

Bibbs is the 7900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bibbs surname appeared 4,190 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bibbs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bibbs to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 7900 7948 -0.61%
Count 4,190 3,862 8.15%
Proportion per 100k 1.42 1.43 -0.70%

The history of the last name Bibbs

The surname Bibbs is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bibban," which means "to drink" or "to imbibe." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in a tavern or inn, or perhaps someone who had a fondness for drinking.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bibbs can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a certain Thomas Bibbs is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, where a Robert Bibbs is listed. The spelling variations during this time included Bybbe, Bibbe, and Bibbes.

The Bibbs surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bibbs Farm in Worcestershire and Bibbs Hall in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Bibbs throughout history include:

  1. John Bibbs (c. 1550 - 1620), an English merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire.
  2. Mary Bibbs (c. 1630 - 1690), a prominent Quaker from Warwickshire who faced persecution for her religious beliefs.
  3. William Bibbs (1765 - 1843), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Military General Service Medal.
  4. Elizabeth Bibbs (1825 - 1892), an English author and poet known for her romantic novels and nature poetry.
  5. James Bibbs (1880 - 1958), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London during the early 20th century.

Overall, the surname Bibbs has a long and rich history in England, dating back to the medieval period. Its origins are closely tied to the Old English language and may have referred to an occupation or personal characteristic related to drinking or taverns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bibbs

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bibbs.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bibbs was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 13.39% 561
Non-Hispanic Black Only 79.64% 3,337
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.48% 20
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.33% 14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 4.03% 169
Hispanic Origin 2.12% 89

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bibbs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 13.39% 15.51% -14.67%
Black 79.64% 79.54% 0.13%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.48% 0.52% -8.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.33% 0.26% 23.73%
Two or More Races 4.03% 2.85% 34.30%
Hispanic 2.12% 1.32% 46.51%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bibbs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bibbs, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Bibbs last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bibbs-surname-popularity/.

"Bibbs last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bibbs-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Bibbs last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bibbs-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.