2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bobbins
A surname derived from the word "bobbin", referring to an occupation related to spinning or weaving.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bobbins. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bobbins 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 Bobbins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bobbins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bobbins
The surname Bobbins is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bobbin," which referred to a small cylindrical object used in weaving and textile production.
The name likely originated in areas with a strong textile industry, such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, or the West Midlands. It may have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked with bobbins or in the textile trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a William Bobyn is listed. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from "Bobyn" to "Bobbins" over time.
In the 16th century, records show a John Bobbins residing in the parish of St. Giles in London in 1568. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Bobbins, who was born in Warwickshire around 1580.
During the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Parish Registers of Ecclesfield in Yorkshire, where a William Bobbins was baptized in 1612.
One notable individual with the surname Bobbins was Sir Robert Bobbins (1642-1718), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ludlow in Shropshire.
Another prominent figure was James Bobbins (1776-1850), a British industrialist and entrepreneur from Lancashire who played a significant role in the development of the cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution.
In the 19th century, the name Bobbins appears in various census records and parish registers throughout England. For example, the 1841 Census of England and Wales lists a John Bobbins, a weaver from Oldham, Lancashire, born around 1801.
Emily Bobbins (1865-1945), a renowned English author and poet, is another individual who carried the surname Bobbins. She was born in Gloucestershire and is known for her nature-inspired works and contributions to children's literature.
The surname Bobbins has a rich history rooted in the textile industry of medieval and early modern England. While it may not be as common today, it remains a part of the country's cultural heritage and a testament to the importance of craftsmanship and industrial development in shaping family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bobbins
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bobbins 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 Bobbins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.2% · 73
- Black or African American16.8% · 18
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bobbins
Bobbins 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-15 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,381 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 22,381 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Bobbins 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bobbins bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bobbins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bobbins?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bobbins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bobbins?
Bobbins ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Bobbins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bobbins.
Has Bobbins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bobbins went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bobbins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobbins, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bobbins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.2% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bobbins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.2%), Black (16.8%), 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 Bobbins (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 Bobbins mean?
A surname derived from the word "bobbin", referring to an occupation related to spinning or weaving. 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 Bobbins (0.04 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 common is the surname Bobbins?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bobbins? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.