Corbel last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Corbel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Corbel.

Meaning of Corbel

A French surname derived from the architectural term for a projecting piece of stone or wood used as a support.

Corbel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Corbel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corbel in America

Corbel is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corbel surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Corbel.

The history of the last name Corbel

The surname Corbel originated in France during the medieval period. Derived from the Old French word 'corbel,' meaning a projection jutting out of a wall to support a weight, the name likely referred to someone who lived near such a structural feature or worked as a stonemason.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the northern French regions of Normandy and Picardy. The name appears in various records from this time, including the Cartulaire de Savigny and the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Bertin.

In the 13th century, the name Corbel was found in the renowned Exchequer Rolls of Normandy, which documented individuals who owed taxes or feudal dues. One notable entry from 1195 mentions a William Corbel from the village of Trévieres.

As the name spread across France, it took on various spellings, such as Corbeau, Corbeaux, and Corbell. Some of these variations may have derived from the French word for 'raven,' suggesting a potential connection to the bird or a location with a similar name.

During the Middle Ages, the Corbel family established a presence in several regions of France, including Brittany, Anjou, and Île-de-France. Notable individuals from this period include Jean Corbel, a merchant from Paris who lived in the late 14th century, and Renaud Corbel, a priest and scribe from Rouen born in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Corbel gained prominence with the birth of Guillaume Corbel (1520-1568), a French Protestant theologian and scholar who contributed to the Geneva Bible translation. Another figure was Jacques Corbel (1590-1653), a prominent Catholic lawyer and judge from Normandy.

As the name spread beyond France, it was adopted in other European countries, including England, where it was anglicized to Corbett or Corbet. One notable bearer of this variant was Sir Robert Corbet (1548-1583), an English landowner and member of Parliament from Shropshire.

Throughout its history, the surname Corbel has been associated with various professions, from stonemasons and architects to merchants, clergy, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corbel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Corbel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Corbel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.00% 94
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Corbel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Corbel, please contact us.

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"Corbel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/corbel-surname-popularity/.

"Corbel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/corbel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 August, 2025

Corbel last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/corbel-surname-popularity/.

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