2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cirbus
A surname with undetermined origins, potentially derived from a topographic name or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Cirbus. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cirbus 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Cirbus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cirbus
The surname CIRBUS has its origins in the German-speaking regions of central Europe, with records indicating that it first appeared in the early 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "kirihha," which means church, suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have lived near or worked at a church.
One of the earliest known references to the CIRBUS name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, where a certain "Conradus Cirbus" is mentioned in a record dated 1237. This suggests that the name had already become established in the area by that time.
In the 14th century, the name CIRBUS appeared in various forms in municipal records and chronicles across Germany and Austria. For instance, a "Johannes Cyrbus" is listed as a resident of the town of Nuremberg in 1349, while a "Heinrich Kyrbus" is recorded as a merchant in Vienna in 1372.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as CIRBUSCH, KYRBUSCH, and KIRBISCH. One notable bearer of this surname was Hans CIRBUS (1506-1572), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a role in the Reformation movement in Saxony.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the CIRBUS name can be found in various parts of the Holy Roman Empire. For example, a "Georg CIRBUS" (1581-1647) was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a councilor to the Elector of Saxony.
Another individual of note was Johann CIRBUS (1625-1698), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg. His compositions, which included sacred works and instrumental pieces, were highly regarded in his time.
As the CIRBUS name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the Low Countries and Scandinavia. In the 18th century, a "Pieter CIRBUS" (1715-1789) was a prominent merchant and ship owner in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, while a "Carl CIRBUS" (1742-1819) was a respected naval officer and explorer in the service of the Danish crown.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cirbus
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cirbus 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 Cirbus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cirbus
Cirbus 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-9 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,955 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 16,955 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Cirbus 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cirbus bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Cirbus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cirbus?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Cirbus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Cirbus?
Cirbus ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Cirbus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Cirbus.
Has Cirbus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cirbus went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Cirbus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Cirbus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cirbus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Cirbus (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 Cirbus mean?
A surname with undetermined origins, potentially derived from a topographic name or location. 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 Cirbus (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 many people have the surname Cirbus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.