2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Combass
A surname potentially derived from a geographical location or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Combass. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Combass 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Combass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Combass, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Combass
The surname "COMBASS" is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French words "combe" meaning a small valley or hollow, and "bass" referring to a low-lying area or basin. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in a valley or near a basin-shaped geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1198, where a Robert de Cumbasse is mentioned. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various manorial records across northern France, including the Cartulaire de Montiéramey from 1248, which lists a Giles Combebaisse as a landowner in the region.
The name Combass can be traced back to several place names in France, such as Combes in the department of Drôme, and Combas in the department of Gard. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Jean Combasse, a French philosopher and theologian born in 1480 in Bordeaux. He was a renowned scholar at the University of Paris and authored several works on metaphysics and theology.
Another historical figure was Pierre Combas, a French architect and engineer who lived from 1595 to 1672. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in the Languedoc region of France.
In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the French Revolution, with a Jean-Baptiste Combasse listed as a member of the National Convention, the governing body that ruled France during the revolutionary period.
The surname also had a presence in England, with records showing a William Combasse residing in Oxfordshire in the late 16th century. Additionally, a Robert Combasse was recorded as a merchant in London in the early 17th century.
While the name's origins can be traced back to France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with individuals bearing the surname Combass found in various countries today. However, its rich history and evolution can be traced through these early records and references.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Combass
Among Census respondents with the surname Combass, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Combass 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 Combass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 95
- Two or more races7.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Combass
Combass 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,830 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-15 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,830 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 14,486 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 Combass 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 | #136,449 | #150,935 | -10.6% |
| Count | 123 | 108 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Combass bearers went from 123 to 108 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 14,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #150,935.
FAQ
Combass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Combass?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Combass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Combass?
Combass ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Combass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Combass.
Has Combass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Combass went from 123 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Combass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Combass, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Combass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Combass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Combass (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 Combass mean?
A surname potentially derived from a geographical location or place name. 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 Combass (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 share the surname Combass?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.