2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Corbly
A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Corbly. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corbly 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Corbly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbly, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corbly
The surname Corbly has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "corbet," which means "a little crow." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who had a resemblance to a crow or exhibited crow-like characteristics.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Corbly can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical records and documents. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, dated around 1273, where the name appears as "Corbet."
During the medieval period, the name Corbly was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Roger Corbly, a priest who lived in the late 14th century and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, England.
Another significant figure was Sir John Corbly, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in Shropshire, England, in 1380 and died in 1437.
In Scotland, the name Corbly can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable bearer was Robert Corbly, a landowner and merchant who lived in Aberdeen during the late 1500s.
The name Corbly has also been associated with various place names throughout England and Scotland. For instance, there is a village called Corby in Northamptonshire, England, which likely derived its name from the surname Corbly or a variation thereof.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Corbly include:
1. William Corbly (1675-1748), an English playwright and poet known for his satirical works.
2. Elizabeth Corbly (1787-1865), a Scottish novelist and author of several historical novels set in her native Scotland.
3. James Corbly (1810-1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
4. Thomas Corbly (1830-1901), a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in South America.
5. Margaret Corbly (1892-1978), an Australian artist and sculptor renowned for her works depicting Aboriginal culture and traditions.
While the surname Corbly has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Corbet, Corbett, and Corby, its roots can be traced back to the British Isles, where it has a rich history and has been borne by notable figures across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corbly
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbly, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Corbly 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 Corbly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corbly
Corbly 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-12 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,199 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 11,199 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 Corbly 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 | #141,140 | #152,339 | -7.9% |
| Count | 118 | 106 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corbly bearers went from 118 to 106 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 11,199 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,339.
FAQ
Corbly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corbly?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Corbly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Corbly?
Corbly ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Corbly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Corbly.
Has Corbly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corbly went from 118 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Corbly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbly, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Corbly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corbly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Corbly (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 Corbly mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Scotland. 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 Corbly (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 Corbly?
You can see how many people have the surname Corbly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.