2000
#13,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Fitzgibbon
Derived from an Anglo-Norman French patronymic meaning "son of Gilbert."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,453 Americans carry the last name Fitzgibbon. That puts it at #13,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,729 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fitzgibbon 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 Fitzgibbon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,729
Census rank
#13,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,139 bearers of the surname Fitzgibbon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzgibbon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fitzgibbon
The surname Fitzgibbon originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is an Anglo-Norman name derived from the Old French words "fils," meaning son, and "Gibon," a personal name of Germanic origin. This surname was initially given to the son of a man named Gibon.
The name is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century when Norman settlers arrived in Ireland. The Fitzgibbons were among the prominent Anglo-Norman families who established themselves in County Limerick and surrounding areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork from 1201, where a Walter Fitzgibbon is mentioned. The name also appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, an Irish chronicle written in the 13th century, referring to a Maurice Fitzgibbon who was involved in a battle in 1261.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Fitzgibbons were influential landowners in counties Limerick, Cork, and Tipperary. They held estates in areas such as Rathangan, Clogheen, and Cahir, and were often involved in local conflicts and power struggles.
Notable individuals with the Fitzgibbon surname include:
1. Maurice Fitzgibbon (c. 1230-1283), an Anglo-Norman nobleman and military commander who fought in the Norman invasion of Connacht.
2. Gerald Fitzgibbon (c. 1335-1399), a prominent figure in the Desmond Fitzgeralds' conflicts against the Anglo-Irish gentry in Munster.
3. John Fitzgibbon (1537-1612), an Irish Catholic lawyer and landowner who played a role in the Desmond Rebellions.
4. John Fitzgibbon, 1st Earl of Clare (1749-1802), an Irish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
5. Gerald Fitzgibbon (1793-1882), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal in Ireland.
The Fitzgibbon name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Fitzgibbon's Green in County Limerick and Fitzgibbon's Hill in County Cork, reflecting the family's historical presence and influence in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fitzgibbon
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzgibbon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fitzgibbon 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 Fitzgibbon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,961
- Two or more races3.8% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fitzgibbon
Fitzgibbon 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
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,216
+109 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 378 places
2020
#13,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,139
-77 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,282 | 2,107 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,660 | 2,216 | 0.75 | +109 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 378 places |
| 2020 | #13,576 | 2,139 | 0.72 | -77 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 84 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 Fitzgibbon 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 | #13,660 | #13,576 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,216 | 2,139 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.72 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fitzgibbon bearers went from 2,216 to 2,139 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,660 to #13,576.
FAQ
Fitzgibbon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fitzgibbon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,453 living Americans carry the surname Fitzgibbon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,729 residents.
How common is Fitzgibbon?
Fitzgibbon ranks #13,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,139 people with the surname Fitzgibbon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,453), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Fitzgibbon.
Has Fitzgibbon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fitzgibbon went from 2,216 recorded bearers to 2,139. That is a decrease of 77 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,660 to #13,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Fitzgibbon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzgibbon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Fitzgibbon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,961 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fitzgibbon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Fitzgibbon (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 Fitzgibbon mean?
Derived from an Anglo-Norman French patronymic meaning "son of Gilbert." 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 Fitzgibbon (0.72 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 Fitzgibbon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.