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

Herb, 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 Herb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Herb in America

Herb is the 9854th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Herb surname appeared 3,282 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 Herb.

We can also compare 2010 data for Herb 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 Herb

The surname HERB has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "herb" meaning "bright" or "shining." The name likely referred to someone with a bright or radiant appearance or personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HERB can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around 1270. The name appears as "Herbold," which was a common variant spelling during that period.

In the 14th century, the surname HERB began appearing in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Records from this time show variations such as "Herber," "Herberg," and "Herberger," which likely stemmed from regional dialects and scribal errors.

The HERB surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Herb, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1550 to 1616. He was known for his contributions to the Protestant Reformation and his works on biblical exegesis.

Another prominent figure with the HERB surname was Johann Baptist Herb, a German composer and organist who lived from 1658 to 1721. He was renowned for his sacred choral works and held positions at various churches throughout his career.

In the 19th century, Friedrich Herb (1817-1893) was a German painter and etcher known for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works are held in collections across Europe and are considered significant examples of the Düsseldorf School of Painting.

The HERB surname can also be traced to the town of Herborn in the German state of Hesse. The town's name, which dates back to the 8th century, is derived from the Old German words "heri" (army) and "born" (well or spring), suggesting a connection to a well or spring used by soldiers.

Another notable bearer of the HERB surname was Karl Herb (1925-2022), a German-American aerospace engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the Saturn V rocket that propelled the Apollo missions to the Moon. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions to the space program.

While the HERB surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to emigration and diaspora. However, the core origins and historical significance of the name remain firmly rooted in its German heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Herb

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

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

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

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