2000
#7,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.60
Rare Last name
Bybee
A habitational surname derived from places named Bybee in England, likely referring to a farmstead or settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,166 Americans carry the last name Bybee. That puts it at #7,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bybee 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.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,348
Census rank
#7,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,505 bearers of the surname Bybee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bybee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bybee
The surname Bybee has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "by" meaning a village or settlement, and "bece" meaning a stream or brook. As such, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where it appears as "John de la Bibyee". This spelling variation reflects the Norman influence on English names during this period.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records with slightly different spellings, such as "Byby" and "Bybye". These variations were common due to the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
During the 16th century, the name Bybee began to take on a more standardized spelling. One notable figure from this era was William Bybee, a merchant from London who is mentioned in records from the 1580s.
The surname Bybee has also been associated with certain place names in England, such as Bybee Farm in the county of Kent. This farm dates back to the 16th century and may have been named after an early inhabitant with the Bybee surname.
In the 17th century, the name Bybee continued to appear in various records across England. One notable individual was John Bybee (1632-1703), a landowner and farmer from Yorkshire.
As the centuries progressed, the Bybee surname began to spread beyond England. In the 18th century, Robert Bybee (1745-1820) was a Scottish emigrant who settled in the American colonies and fought in the Revolutionary War.
Other noteworthy figures with the Bybee surname include:
1. Thomas Bybee (1810-1891), an English author and poet.
2. Mary Bybee (1845-1916), an American educator and suffragist.
3. William Bybee (1876-1948), a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
4. James Bybee (1939-2021), an American law professor and former assistant attorney general.
5. John Bybee (born 1964), an American psychologist and researcher in the field of cognitive science.
While the Bybee surname has been present throughout history, it remains relatively uncommon compared to some other English surnames. Nonetheless, its origins and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of English language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bybee
Among Census respondents with the surname Bybee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bybee 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 Bybee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 4,016
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 175
- Two or more races3.8% · 173
- Black or African American1.8% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bybee
Bybee 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
#7,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,614
+301 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 89 places
2020
#7,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,505
-109 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,145 | 4,313 | 1.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,234 | 4,614 | 1.56 | +301 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 89 places |
| 2020 | #7,144 | 4,505 | 1.51 | -109 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 90 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 Bybee 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 | #7,234 | #7,144 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,614 | 4,505 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.51 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bybee bearers went from 4,614 to 4,505 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,234 to #7,144.
FAQ
Bybee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bybee?
Name Census estimates that about 5,166 living Americans carry the surname Bybee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,348 residents.
How common is Bybee?
Bybee ranks #7,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,505 people with the surname Bybee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,166), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bybee.
Has Bybee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bybee went from 4,614 recorded bearers to 4,505. That is a decrease of 109 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,234 to #7,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Bybee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bybee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Bybee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (4,016 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bybee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Bybee (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 Bybee mean?
A habitational surname derived from places named Bybee in England, likely referring to a farmstead or settlement. 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 Bybee (1.51 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 Bybee?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Bybee at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.