2000
#8,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Cribb
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of baskets, cribs, or animal enclosures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,750 Americans carry the last name Cribb. That puts it at #9,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cribb 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 Cribb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,401
Census rank
#9,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,270 bearers of the surname Cribb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribb, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cribb
The surname Cribb is of English origin and is believed to have originated from the Old English word "crybbe," meaning a crib or a manger. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as an occupational surname for someone who worked with cribs or made them.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in counties such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Crybbe from Oxfordshire.
During the medieval period, the surname Cribb appeared in various spellings, including Crybbe, Cribbe, and Crybbe, reflecting the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. It is worth noting that the name shares similarities with the place name Cribbs Causeway, a suburb of Bristol, which may indicate a connection between the surname and a specific location.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cribb. One such person was Thomas Cribb (1781-1848), an English bare-knuckle boxer who held the heavyweight championship of England from 1810 to 1811 and was known for his victories over prominent fighters of his era.
Another notable figure was Sir Harry Cribb (1851-1936), a British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the steel industry in South Wales. He was knighted in 1920 for his services to industry and his charitable work.
In the literary world, Marjorie Cribb (1906-1996) was a Canadian author and illustrator of children's books, known for her contributions to Canadian literature and her vivid depictions of rural life in Ontario.
Robert Cribb (1869-1952) was an English-born Australian cricketer who played domestic cricket for New South Wales and was part of the Australian national team that toured England in 1896.
The surname Cribb has also been associated with various places and locations over time. For example, Cribbs Meadow in Gloucestershire, England, is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating a connection between the name and a specific geographic area.
While the surname Cribb may not be as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history that spans centuries and can be traced back to the medieval period in England. Its origins and various spellings reflect the evolution of language and naming conventions over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cribb
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribb, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cribb 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 Cribb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 2,794
- Black or African American8.8% · 287
- Two or more races2.5% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cribb
Cribb 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
#9,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,578
+191 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 236 places
2020
#9,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,270
-308 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,889 | 3,387 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,125 | 3,578 | 1.21 | +191 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 236 places |
| 2020 | #9,512 | 3,270 | 1.09 | -308 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 387 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 Cribb 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 | #9,125 | #9,512 | -4.2% |
| Count | 3,578 | 3,270 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.09 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cribb bearers went from 3,578 to 3,270 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 387 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,125 to #9,512.
FAQ
Cribb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cribb?
Name Census estimates that about 3,750 living Americans carry the surname Cribb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,401 residents.
How common is Cribb?
Cribb ranks #9,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,270 people with the surname Cribb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,750), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cribb.
Has Cribb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cribb went from 3,578 recorded bearers to 3,270. That is a decrease of 308 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,125 to #9,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Cribb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribb, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cribb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (2,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cribb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (8.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cribb (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 Cribb mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of baskets, cribs, or animal enclosures. 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 Cribb (1.09 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 have the surname Cribb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.