2000
#14,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Cubbage
An English occupational surname for a farmer or seller of cabbages or vegetables.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,111 Americans carry the last name Cubbage. That puts it at #15,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,366 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cubbage 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 Cubbage with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,366
Census rank
#15,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,841 bearers of the surname Cubbage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cubbage, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cubbage
The surname Cubbage originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cubb", which means a small enclosed place or a shed. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone living near a small outbuilding or enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "Cubbe". This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, the Cubbage surname was found in various regions of England, including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William Cubbe from Leicestershire, while the Yorkshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1301 list a John Cubbag.
The name Cubbage is also associated with specific place names, such as Cubley in Derbyshire, which was formerly known as "Cubbeleia" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that some bearers of the Cubbage surname may have derived their name from a place of residence.
One notable individual with the Cubbage surname was John Cubbage (c. 1538-1589), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham and Rector of Sutton-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire.
Another prominent figure was William Cubbage (1675-1747), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Shropshire. He acquired significant estates in Shropshire and Staffordshire, contributing to the family's influence in those regions.
In the 18th century, Samuel Cubbage (1720-1786) was a respected physician and author from Devonshire, known for his medical treatises on various topics, including smallpox and fevers.
Elizabeth Cubbage (1768-1839), born in Yorkshire, was a renowned poet and writer during the early 19th century. Her works, often focused on nature and rural life, were widely published and celebrated in literary circles.
Lastly, Sir John Cubbage (1842-1918), a successful industrialist from Lancashire, made significant contributions to the textile industry and was knighted for his philanthropic efforts in supporting educational initiatives in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cubbage
Among Census respondents with the surname Cubbage, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cubbage 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 Cubbage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 1,560
- Black or African American8.6% · 159
- Two or more races3.8% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cubbage
Cubbage 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
#15,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,946
+35 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 788 places
2020
#15,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
-105 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,363 | 1,911 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,151 | 1,946 | 0.66 | +35 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 788 places |
| 2020 | #15,346 | 1,841 | 0.62 | -105 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 195 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 Cubbage 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 | #15,151 | #15,346 | -1.3% |
| Count | 1,946 | 1,841 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.62 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cubbage bearers went from 1,946 to 1,841 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,151 to #15,346.
FAQ
Cubbage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cubbage?
Name Census estimates that about 2,111 living Americans carry the surname Cubbage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,366 residents.
How common is Cubbage?
Cubbage ranks #15,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,841 people with the surname Cubbage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Cubbage.
Has Cubbage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cubbage went from 1,946 recorded bearers to 1,841. That is a decrease of 105 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,151 to #15,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Cubbage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cubbage, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Cubbage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (1,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cubbage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Cubbage (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 Cubbage mean?
An English occupational surname for a farmer or seller of cabbages or vegetables. 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 Cubbage (0.62 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 last name Cubbage?
Find out how many people have the surname Cubbage on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.