2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Firby
An English locational surname derived from the place name Firby in North Yorkshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Firby. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Firby 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 Firby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Firby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Firby, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Firby
The surname Firby is believed to have originated in England, and can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fyr" meaning fire, and "by" meaning a settlement or village, indicating that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a place where charcoal was burned or where fires were lit for some industrial purpose.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Firby in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname was often spelled in various ways, such as Firbie, Feerby, and Fyreby, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. Some historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals with the surname Firby in various parts of northern England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was John Firby, who was born in Yorkshire around 1520. He was a Catholic priest and author, known for his work "The Booke of Godly and Vertuous Sentences" published in 1565.
Another prominent individual with the name was William Firby, a 17th-century English clergyman and writer, who served as a rector in the village of Mendlesham, Suffolk. He was born around 1615 and is known for his theological works, including "The Creed, Decalogue, and the Lord's Prayer" published in 1678.
In the 18th century, the surname can be found in various parish records and local histories, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Firby, a farmer and landowner from the village of Westow, Yorkshire, who was born in 1712 and lived until 1784.
The 19th century saw several individuals with the surname Firby making their mark in various fields. For example, George Firby (1829-1903) was a British architect and surveyor who worked on numerous projects in London and the surrounding areas.
Overall, while not a particularly common surname, Firby has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of England, with various branches and individuals contributing to the cultural and historical fabric of the country over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Firby
Among Census respondents with the surname Firby, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Firby 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 Firby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 80
- Black or African American22.4% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Firby
Firby 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Firby 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Firby bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Firby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Firby?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Firby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Firby?
Firby ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Firby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Firby.
Has Firby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Firby went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Firby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Firby, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Firby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Firby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (22.4%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Firby (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 Firby mean?
An English locational surname derived from the place name Firby in North Yorkshire. 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 Firby (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Firby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.