2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Combis
A surname possibly derived from the French "combler" meaning to fill or heap.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Combis. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Combis 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Combis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Combis, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Combis
The surname Combis finds its origins in France, with roots dating back to the 16th century. Originally spelled as Combes or Combs, the name is derived from the Old French word "combe," meaning a small valley or hollow. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided in a settlement situated in a valley or hollow area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Combis can be found in the Huguenot records of the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, many Huguenots fled religious persecution in France and sought refuge in neighboring countries, carrying their surnames with them. It is possible that some of these Huguenot families bore the name Combis or its variations.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Jean Combis (1635-1702) was a French Protestant clergyman and theologian. He was known for his writings on religious controversies and his advocacy for the rights of Huguenots during a time of great turmoil for the Protestant community in France.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Pierre Combis (1775-1857), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He achieved the rank of general and participated in several significant campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, a French explorer named Louis Combis (1823-1895) gained recognition for his expeditions in Africa. He was one of the first Europeans to document the existence of the Ubangi River, a major tributary of the Congo River, and made significant contributions to the field of geography.
Moving to the 20th century, Marie-Claire Combis (1915-2003) was a notable French actress who appeared in numerous films and television productions throughout her career. She was particularly acclaimed for her performances in several stage productions and received recognition from the prestigious Molière Award.
While the surname Combis is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, military leaders, explorers, and artists. Its origins can be traced back to the valleys and hollows of France, where the earliest bearers of this name likely resided.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Combis
Among Census respondents with the surname Combis, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Combis 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 Combis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.4% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander31.4% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 9
- Two or more races8.6% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Combis
Combis 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,096 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 1,096 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Combis 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Combis bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Combis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Combis?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Combis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Combis?
Combis ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Combis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Combis.
Has Combis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Combis went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Combis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Combis, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%). 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 Combis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Combis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (31.4%), Hispanic (8.6%). 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 Combis (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 Combis mean?
A surname possibly derived from the French "combler" meaning to fill or heap. 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 Combis (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 Combis?
Find out how many people have the surname Combis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.