2000
#26,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 868
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Gilbreth
A surname derived from a Scottish place name that literally means "Hill of the Britons".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,030 Americans carry the last name Gilbreth. That puts it at #28,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 332,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilbreth 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
1.0K
1 in 332,771
Census rank
#28,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
898
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 898 bearers of the surname Gilbreth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilbreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilbreth
The surname Gilbreth originates from England and has its roots in the Middle Ages, likely emerging in the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gild" meaning "golden" and "brith" meaning "bright," suggesting a connection to someone with a radiant or golden complexion.
The earliest known records of the name can be traced back to the county of Yorkshire, where the Gilbreth family held lands and estates. In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are entries that suggest the name's existence, albeit with slightly different spellings such as "Gildebricht" or "Gildbryght."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gilbreth was Sir John Gilbreth, who lived in the late 13th century and was a notable knight and landowner from Yorkshire. Another prominent figure was William Gilbreth, born in 1485, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.
In the 16th century, the Gilbreth family had established themselves in various parts of England, with branches in counties like Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. During this time, the name was also associated with places like Gilbreth Hall in Yorkshire and Gilbreth Manor in Derbyshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable individual from this period was Thomas Gilbreth, born in 1567, who was a renowned scholar and author of several works on theology and philosophy. Another was Elizabeth Gilbreth, born in 1592, who was a pioneering educator and advocated for the education of women during a time when it was uncommon.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gilbreth family continued to be prominent in various parts of England, with several members holding positions of influence in local governments, the church, and the military. One such figure was Sir Robert Gilbreth, born in 1635, who served as a high-ranking officer in the English army during the Civil War.
As the Gilbreth family expanded and migrated to different parts of the world, the surname took on various spellings and variations, including Gilbrath, Gilbright, and Gilbraith. However, the core meaning and history of the name remained rooted in its English origins and associations with brightness and radiance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilbreth
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilbreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilbreth 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 Gilbreth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 768
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 55
- Two or more races5.6% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilbreth
Gilbreth 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
#26,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 910
+42 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#28,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 898
-12 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 1,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,446 | 868 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,747 | 910 | 0.31 | +42 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #28,289 | 898 | 0.30 | -12 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 1,542 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 Gilbreth 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 | #26,747 | #28,289 | -5.8% |
| Count | 910 | 898 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.30 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilbreth bearers went from 910 to 898 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 1,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,747 to #28,289.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gilbreth
FAQ
Gilbreth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilbreth?
Name Census estimates that about 1,030 living Americans carry the surname Gilbreth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 332,771 residents.
How common is Gilbreth?
Gilbreth ranks #28,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 898 people with the surname Gilbreth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,030), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Gilbreth.
Has Gilbreth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilbreth went from 910 recorded bearers to 898. That is a decrease of 12 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,747 to #28,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilbreth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilbreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Gilbreth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (768 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilbreth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Gilbreth (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 Gilbreth mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish place name that literally means "Hill of the Britons". 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 Gilbreth (0.30 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 Gilbreth?
Want to know how common the surname Gilbreth is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.