2000
#12,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Gibney
Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "Ó Gíobúnaidh," meaning "descendant of Gíobúnaidh," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,494 Americans carry the last name Gibney. That puts it at #13,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,432 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gibney 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 Gibney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,432
Census rank
#13,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,175 bearers of the surname Gibney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gibney
The surname Gibney is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gibbon," which means "little hawk" or "falcon." The name was initially found in County Monaghan, Ireland, where it was prominent among families living in the baronies of Farney and Cremorne.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gibney name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1134, a chieftain named Gilla-na-noev O'Gibney is mentioned as a leader of the Ui Meith, a powerful dynasty in County Monaghan.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gibney family played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, supporting the Catholic cause against English forces. In 1641, Edmond Gibney, a landowner from County Monaghan, joined the Irish Rebellion and fought alongside Owen Roe O'Neill's troops.
The Gibneys were also known for their involvement in the literary and ecclesiastical spheres. In the 18th century, Father Patrick Gibney (1720-1789) was a renowned Irish scholar and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and culture.
Another notable figure was John Gibney (1825-1903), a prominent Irish lawyer and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Meath from 1880 to 1885 and played a crucial role in the Irish Home Rule movement.
In the 20th century, James Gibney (1915-1997) gained recognition as a respected American novelist and short story writer. His works often explored themes of Irish-American identity and the immigrant experience.
Other individuals with the Gibney surname who have made significant contributions include:
1. Norah Gibney (1892-1956), an Irish poet and playwright known for her works on Irish mythology and folklore.
2. Frank Gibney (1924-2006), an American journalist and author who covered Asia and wrote extensively about Japan and China.
3. Erin Gibney (born 1975), an American artist and sculptor whose works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums across the United States.
4. John Gibney (born 1949), an Irish politician and former member of the European Parliament, representing the Dublin constituency.
5. Michael Gibney (born 1967), an Irish chef and food writer who has authored several cookbooks and served as a judge on the television show "MasterChef Ireland."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gibney
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gibney 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 Gibney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,005
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 71
- Two or more races2.9% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gibney
Gibney 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
#13,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,181
-9 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 972 places
2020
#13,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,175
-6 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 465 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,883 | 2,190 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,855 | 2,181 | 0.74 | -9 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 972 places |
| 2020 | #13,390 | 2,175 | 0.73 | -6 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 465 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 Gibney 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 | #13,855 | #13,390 | 3.4% |
| Count | 2,181 | 2,175 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.73 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gibney bearers went from 2,181 to 2,175 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 465 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,855 to #13,390.
FAQ
Gibney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gibney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,494 living Americans carry the surname Gibney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,432 residents.
How common is Gibney?
Gibney ranks #13,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,175 people with the surname Gibney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Gibney.
Has Gibney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gibney went from 2,181 recorded bearers to 2,175. That is a decrease of 6 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,855 to #13,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Gibney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gibney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,005 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gibney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Gibney (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 Gibney mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "Ó Gíobúnaidh," meaning "descendant of Gíobúnaidh," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Gibney (0.73 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 surname Gibney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.