2000
#6,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Cribbs
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "cribb," referring to a person who lived near a manger or cattle shelter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,073 Americans carry the last name Cribbs. That puts it at #7,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,564 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cribbs 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
5.1K
1 in 67,564
Census rank
#7,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,424 bearers of the surname Cribbs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cribbs
The surname Cribbs is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "cribb" or "crybb," which refer to a manger or crib. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone living near a manger or crib.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cribbs can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where it appears as "Robert de Cribbe." This indicates that the name had already been established in England by the late 13th century.
During the 14th century, the surname Cribbs appeared in various records across different regions of England. For instance, in 1327, a certain John Cribbes was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. Additionally, in 1379, a William Cribbes was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire.
The Cribbs surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, which dates back to the 16th century. This place name likely originated from the Cribbs family who resided in the area.
Among the notable individuals who bore the Cribbs surname throughout history are:
1. Sir John Cribbs (1550-1625), an English merchant and philanthropist who served as the Sheriff of Bristol in 1611.
2. William Cribbs (1635-1702), an English clergyman and author known for his work titled "The Compleat Vindicator."
3. Thomas Cribbs (1737-1810), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Mary Cribbs (1795-1867), an English writer and poet who published several works, including "Poems on Various Subjects" in 1824.
5. Henry Cribbs (1860-1935), a British artist and painter known for his landscape paintings depicting rural scenes in England.
While the Cribbs surname may not be as common today as some other English surnames, its history can be traced back several centuries, with roots in the medieval period and connections to various regions and notable individuals throughout England's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cribbs
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cribbs 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 Cribbs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.4% · 3,426
- Black or African American14.3% · 634
- Two or more races4.3% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cribbs
Cribbs 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
#7,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,644
+208 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 228 places
2020
#7,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,424
-220 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,967 | 4,436 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,195 | 4,644 | 1.57 | +208 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 228 places |
| 2020 | #7,263 | 4,424 | 1.48 | -220 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 68 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 Cribbs 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 | #7,195 | #7,263 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,644 | 4,424 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.48 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cribbs bearers went from 4,644 to 4,424 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,195 to #7,263.
FAQ
Cribbs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cribbs?
Name Census estimates that about 5,073 living Americans carry the surname Cribbs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,564 residents.
How common is Cribbs?
Cribbs ranks #7,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,424 people with the surname Cribbs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Cribbs.
Has Cribbs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cribbs went from 4,644 recorded bearers to 4,424. That is a decrease of 220 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,195 to #7,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Cribbs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Cribbs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (3,426 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cribbs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.4%), Black (14.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Cribbs (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 Cribbs mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "cribb," referring to a person who lived near a manger or cattle shelter. 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 Cribbs (1.48 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 Cribbs?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Cribbs on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.