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

Geib, 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 Geib surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geib in America

Geib is the 10919th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geib surname appeared 2,915 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Geib.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geib 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 Geib

The surname GEIB has its origins in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "gibe," which means "protruding or projecting." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a physical characteristic or feature that was prominent or protruding.

The name GEIB was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, where a Johann Geib was listed as a resident in 1564.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname GEIB appeared in various historical documents and records across different parts of Germany. For example, a certain Christoph Geib was mentioned in the church records of the town of Esslingen am Neckar in 1693, while an Anna Maria Geib was recorded in the birth records of the city of Stuttgart in 1718.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name GEIB was Johann Balthasar Geib (1676-1750), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. Another prominent figure was Karl Geib (1776-1833), a German jurist and statesman who held important positions in the government of the Kingdom of Württemberg.

In the 19th century, the name GEIB gained recognition through the works of the German novelist and playwright Emanuel Geibel (1815-1884), who is considered one of the most important lyric poets of the Biedermeier period in German literature. His poetic works, such as "Gedichte" and "Juniuslieder," earned him widespread acclaim and established him as a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time.

Another notable bearer of the name GEIB was the German artist and illustrator Gustav Geib (1857-1942), who was renowned for his intricate and detailed woodcut illustrations, particularly those depicting scenes from folklore and mythology. His works were widely published and exhibited during his lifetime, and many of his illustrations can be found in various books and publications from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The name GEIB has also been associated with various places and locations throughout German-speaking regions. For example, the village of Geib in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany is believed to have derived its name from the surname, potentially indicating the presence of families bearing the name in that area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geib

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

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 Geib 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 Geib 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 Geib was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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