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

Bible, 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 Bible surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bible in America

Bible is the 7119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bible surname appeared 4,700 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bible.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bible 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.

The history of the last name Bible

The surname BIBLE is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bibel," which referred to the Christian holy book. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who had a connection to the Bible, perhaps a scribe or a scholar who transcribed or studied the text.

The earliest recorded instances of the BIBLE surname can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is John Bible, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. Another early record is that of William Bible, who appeared in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327.

During the 16th century, the BIBLE surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Somerset, where several families bearing this name were recorded in parish registers and other local documents. One notable individual from this time was Thomas Bible, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Taunton in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the BIBLE surname began to spread more widely across England, with families settling in various parts of the country. One notable bearer of this name was John Bible, a prominent clergyman who served as the Rector of Wigan in Lancashire from 1671 until his death in 1696.

The 18th century saw the BIBLE name continue to be found throughout England, with several individuals achieving notable positions. One example is Sir Thomas Bible, who was born in 1734 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Cricklade in Wiltshire.

As the centuries progressed, the BIBLE surname also gained a presence in other parts of the English-speaking world, particularly in North America and other former British colonies, as families emigrated from their homeland. One notable American bearing this name was George Bible, a soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent politician in Pennsylvania, serving as a member of the state's General Assembly in the early 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bible

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

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 Bible was:

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 Bible has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Bible was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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