Find out how popular the last name Erby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Erby.

Erby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Erby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erby in America

Erby is the 18867th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erby surname appeared 1,449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Erby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Erby

The surname ERBY originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "erbe," meaning "grass" or "pasture." The name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a grassy area or worked as a farmer or herdsman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ERBY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation conducted by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name ERBY appeared in various spellings, such as Erby, Erbie, and Erbey, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire, where many families bearing the surname lived.

Notable individuals with the surname ERBY throughout history include John Erby, a prominent merchant and landowner in Lincolnshire during the 14th century. Another notable figure was William Erby, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century and authored several treatises on religious topics.

In the 16th century, the name ERBY appeared in various records, such as parish registers and tax rolls. One noteworthy individual from this period was Robert Erby, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry class in Yorkshire, who was born in 1542 and died in 1618.

Moving into the 17th century, the ERBY surname continued to be found in various parts of England. Sir Edward Erby, born in 1602 and died in 1676, was a prominent politician and member of Parliament who represented the borough of Lincolnshire.

In the 18th century, the name ERBY was still present, with individuals like Thomas Erby, a successful merchant and shipowner from the city of Bristol, who lived from 1728 to 1804. He was known for his extensive trade networks and contribution to the local economy.

The 19th century saw the ERBY surname spread further across England and beyond, with families bearing the name also found in other parts of the United Kingdom and even in the British colonies. One notable figure from this period was Charles Erby, a renowned explorer and naturalist who was born in 1812 and made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in various regions of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Erby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Erby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Erby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Erby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Erby, please contact us.

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