2000
#7,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,862
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Bibbs
An English occupational surname for a person who wore a bib as part of their job or uniform.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,512 Americans carry the last name Bibbs. That puts it at #8,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bibbs 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 Bibbs with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,965
Census rank
#8,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,935 bearers of the surname Bibbs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bibbs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bibbs
Among Census respondents with the surname Bibbs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bibbs 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 Bibbs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.0% · 3,069
- White10.9% · 428
- Two or more races7.5% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bibbs
Bibbs 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
#7,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,190
+328 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Up 48 places
2020
#8,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,935
-255 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,948 | 3,862 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,900 | 4,190 | 1.42 | +328 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 48 places |
| 2020 | #8,069 | 3,935 | 1.32 | -255 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 169 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 Bibbs 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 | #7,900 | #8,069 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,190 | 3,935 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.32 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bibbs bearers went from 4,190 to 3,935 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,900 to #8,069.
FAQ
Bibbs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bibbs?
Name Census estimates that about 4,512 living Americans carry the surname Bibbs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,965 residents.
How common is Bibbs?
Bibbs ranks #8,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,935 people with the surname Bibbs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,512), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bibbs.
Has Bibbs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bibbs went from 4,190 recorded bearers to 3,935. That is a decrease of 255 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,900 to #8,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Bibbs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bibbs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (7.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bibbs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (3,069 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bibbs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.0%), White (10.9%), Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Bibbs (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 Bibbs mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who wore a bib as part of their job or uniform. 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 Bibbs (1.32 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 Americans have the surname Bibbs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.