2000
#1,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,696
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.53
Uncommon Last name
Corbin
A French habitational surname referring to a person from a place called Corbeil, derived from the Latin "corvus" meaning "raven".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,451 Americans carry the last name Corbin. That puts it at #1,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,638 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corbin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Corbin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,638
Census rank
#1,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,683 bearers of the surname Corbin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corbin
The surname Corbin is of French origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "corbin," which means "small raven" or "young raven." This suggests that the name was initially a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with dark hair or complexion, or perhaps someone who exhibited raven-like characteristics.
The name first appeared in the region of Normandy, France, where it was well-established by the 11th century. Some variations of the spelling include Corben, Corbyn, and Corbain. The earliest recorded mention of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
During the medieval period, several notable individuals bore the surname Corbin. One such person was Thomas Corbin, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived from 1292 to 1349. Another was Sir Robert Corbin, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records, including the writings of the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. One of his characters, a messenger in the play "Henry VI, Part 2," is named John Corbin.
The name Corbin has also been associated with several place names, such as Corbin in Kentucky, United States, which was named after the Corbin family who settled in the area in the late 18th century. Another example is the town of Corbin in Virginia, established in the early 19th century and named after the prominent landowner Francis Corbin, who lived from 1759 to 1823.
Other notable individuals with the surname Corbin include the American artist and illustrator Thomas Corbin (1796-1868), renowned for his portraits and landscapes. Additionally, Charles Corbin (1858-1935) was a British actor and playwright who gained fame for his comedic performances on the London stage.
The surname Corbin has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its French origins. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, knights, poets, artists, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corbin
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Corbin 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 Corbin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 18,580
- Black or African American19.2% · 4,919
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,135
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 774
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 164
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 111
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corbin
Corbin 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
#1,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,876
+1,180 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 9.11
Rank movement Down 54 places
2020
#1,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,683
-1,193 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 8.59
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,253 | 25,696 | 9.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,307 | 26,876 | 9.11 | +1,180 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 54 places |
| 2020 | #1,341 | 25,683 | 8.59 | -1,193 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 34 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 Corbin 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 | #1,307 | #1,341 | -2.6% |
| Count | 26,876 | 25,683 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 9.11 | 8.59 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corbin bearers went from 26,876 to 25,683 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,307 to #1,341.
FAQ
Corbin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corbin?
Name Census estimates that about 29,451 living Americans carry the surname Corbin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,638 residents.
How common is Corbin?
Corbin ranks #1,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,683 people with the surname Corbin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,451), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Corbin.
Has Corbin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corbin went from 26,876 recorded bearers to 25,683. That is a decrease of 1,193 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,307 to #1,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Corbin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Corbin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (18,580 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corbin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (19.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Corbin (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 Corbin mean?
A French habitational surname referring to a person from a place called Corbeil, derived from the Latin "corvus" meaning "raven". 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 Corbin (8.59 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 are called Corbin?
Want to know how many people have the surname Corbin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.