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

Gibbs, 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 Gibbs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gibbs in America

Gibbs is the 515th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gibbs surname appeared 65,064 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 22 people would have the surname Gibbs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gibbs 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 Gibbs

The surname Gibbs has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a derivative of the Old English word "gib," which referred to a male goat or ram. This could have been used as a nickname for someone with a beard or a ram-like appearance, or it may have been a reference to someone who worked with goats or sheep.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gibbs can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their properties compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

The name Gibbs has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Gibbstown and Gibside. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the surname Gibbs, indicating that the name was widespread across different regions.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gibbs was John Gibbs, who was born in England in 1544. He was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1612 until his death in 1633.

Another notable bearer of the name was Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), an English composer and organist who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reigns of James I and Charles I. He is considered one of the most famous composers of the English Renaissance.

In the 18th century, Samuel Gibbs (1718-1786) was a renowned English goldsmith and jeweler who worked in London. His craftsmanship was highly sought after, and he produced works for members of the British royal family.

Lewis Gibbs (1810-1894) was an American politician who served as the 27th Governor of Arkansas from 1868 to 1871. He played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the American Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Sir Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903), an American scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, and chemistry. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern chemical thermodynamics and is renowned for his work on statistical mechanics and the formulation of the phase rule.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gibbs

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

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

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

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