2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Flibotte
A French surname originating in Normandy, thought to derive from a regional dialect term for a small bird.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Flibotte. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flibotte 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Flibotte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flibotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flibotte
The surname FLIBOTTE has its roots in France, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the northern regions of the country, possibly deriving from an old French term or phrase related to a particular trade or occupation. While the exact etymology remains unclear, some scholars suggest it may have connections to the word "flibustier," which referred to a pirate or freebooter during that era.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname FLIBOTTE can be found in a regional census record from the town of Calais, dated 1587. The entry lists a family headed by a certain Jacques FLIBOTTE, a merchant by trade. This provides evidence of the name's presence in that area during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records across northern France, including parish registers and tax rolls. Notably, a Pierre FLIBOTTE, born in 1632, was a respected cartographer and mapmaker, renowned for his intricate and detailed maps of the French countryside.
As the FLIBOTTE family spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as FLIBAUT, FLIBAULT, and FLIBOT. These slight alterations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the FLIBOTTE surname was Jean-Baptiste FLIBOTTE (1678-1743), a renowned French architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Paris and its surrounding areas. His legacy includes the stunning Chapelle de la Vierge at the Église Saint-Sulpice.
In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with André FLIBOTTE (1721-1799), a highly respected vintner from the Champagne region. His wines were favored among the French nobility, and he was even granted a royal warrant to supply the court of King Louis XVI.
Another notable figure was Marie-Thérèse FLIBOTTE (1789-1864), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Lyon. Her progressive approach to education and commitment to empowering young women left a lasting impact on the region.
As the FLIBOTTE family continued to grow and disperse throughout France, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, where descendants can be found carrying on the name's legacy to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flibotte
Among Census respondents with the surname Flibotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Flibotte 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 Flibotte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 101
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flibotte
Flibotte 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 711 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 711 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 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 Flibotte 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 | #142,108 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flibotte bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Flibotte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flibotte?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Flibotte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Flibotte?
Flibotte ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Flibotte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Flibotte.
Has Flibotte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flibotte went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Flibotte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flibotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Flibotte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flibotte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (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 Flibotte (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 Flibotte mean?
A French surname originating in Normandy, thought to derive from a regional dialect term for a small bird. 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 Flibotte (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 have the last name Flibotte?
Want to know how many people have the last name Flibotte? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.