2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cribeiro
An occupational surname referring to a sieve or sifter maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Cribeiro. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cribeiro 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Cribeiro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribeiro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cribeiro
The surname CRIBEIRO is of Portuguese origin, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the village of Cribeiro, located in the northern region of Portugal. The name is derived from the Latin word "cribrum," which means "sieve" or "sifter," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been individuals involved in the sifting or winnowing of grain.
In the 13th century, historical records mention a nobleman named Afonso Cribeiro, who served as a knight in the court of King Afonso III of Portugal. Afonso Cribeiro's name is documented in various royal charters and land grants from that period, indicating the early prominence of this surname.
The name CRIBEIRO also appears in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a renowned Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 14th century. This work chronicles the ancestry and lineages of many noble families in Portugal, further solidifying the historical roots of the CRIBEIRO surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CRIBEIRO name is found in the "Livro de Montaria" (Book of the Hunt), a medieval hunting treatise written by King John I of Portugal in the late 14th century. In this work, the author mentions a skilled huntsman named Fernão Cribeiro, who accompanied the king on various hunting expeditions.
During the Age of Exploration, the CRIBEIRO surname gained prominence as Portuguese explorers and settlers carried it to newly discovered lands. Vasco Cribeiro, born in 1492, was a renowned navigator and cartographer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497. His detailed maps and charts played a crucial role in the success of this expedition.
Another notable figure was Diogo Cribeiro, a Portuguese soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Brazil in the 16th century. Born in 1505, Diogo Cribeiro was among the first European settlers in the city of Salvador, and his descendants played a significant role in the colonization and development of the region.
In the realm of literature, João Cribeiro, born in 1624, was a celebrated Portuguese poet and playwright during the Baroque era. His works, including the famous play "A Vida é Sonho" (Life is a Dream), are considered masterpieces of Portuguese literature.
Lastly, Maria Cribeiro, born in 1788, was a renowned educator and philanthropist who founded several schools and orphanages in her native city of Porto. Her dedication to educating underprivileged children and promoting social welfare earned her widespread recognition and respect.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cribeiro
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribeiro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cribeiro 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 Cribeiro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 95
- White2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cribeiro
Cribeiro appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-14 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,804 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 9,804 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 Cribeiro 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 | #146,201 | #156,005 | -6.7% |
| Count | 113 | 99 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cribeiro bearers went from 113 to 99 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 9,804 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #156,005.
FAQ
Cribeiro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cribeiro?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Cribeiro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Cribeiro?
Cribeiro ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Cribeiro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Cribeiro.
Has Cribeiro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cribeiro went from 113 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Cribeiro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cribeiro, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cribeiro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cribeiro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Cribeiro (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 Cribeiro mean?
An occupational surname referring to a sieve or sifter maker. 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 Cribeiro (0.03 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 Cribeiro?
Want to know how common the surname Cribeiro is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.