2000
#9,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Hibbert
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English words meaning "high" and "bright."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,473 Americans carry the last name Hibbert. That puts it at #8,124 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,627 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hibbert 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 Hibbert with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,627
Census rank
#8,124
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,901 bearers of the surname Hibbert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8124th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hibbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.9%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hibbert
The surname Hibbert originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hib" or "hibb," meaning "a seed" or "a bud," and "beorht," meaning "bright" or "shining." The name may have been given as a nickname to someone with a bright complexion or a lively personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the Hibbert surname can be found in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century. In these records, the name appears as "Hibberd" and "Hibberde." The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also mentions several places with similar names, such as "Hibaldestou" (now Hubberton) in Shropshire and "Hibaldestune" (now Hubberton) in Buckinghamshire, which could be related to the origin of the surname.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Hibbert surname was William Hibbert, who was recorded as a resident of Lancashire in the 13th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Henry Hibbert (c. 1348-1420), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of King Henry IV.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hibbert family gained prominence in various parts of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Hibbert (1570-1628), a successful merchant and alderman in Preston, Lancashire, and Nathaniel Hibbert (1628-1695), a wealthy merchant and shipowner in London.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, several Hibberts achieved distinction in various fields. Samuel Hibbert (1782-1848) was a prominent English physician, geologist, and antiquarian, known for his contributions to the study of geology and his works on ancient monuments. Thomas Hibbert (1771-1838) was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in Manchester.
Another notable figure was George Hibbert (1757-1837), a West Indian merchant and plantation owner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cricklade and Seaford. He was involved in the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. Reverend Francis Hibbert (1758-1829) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
The Hibbert surname continues to be found in various parts of the world, with significant concentrations in England, particularly in the northwest regions, as well as in North America and other former British colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hibbert
Among Census respondents with the surname Hibbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.9%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hibbert 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 Hibbert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.9% · 1,829
- Black or African American43.3% · 1,689
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 184
- Two or more races4.2% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hibbert
Hibbert 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
#8,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,037
+705 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 799 places
2020
#8,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,901
-136 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,019 | 3,332 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,220 | 4,037 | 1.37 | +705 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 799 places |
| 2020 | #8,124 | 3,901 | 1.31 | -136 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 96 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 Hibbert 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 | #8,220 | #8,124 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,037 | 3,901 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.31 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hibbert bearers went from 4,037 to 3,901 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,220 to #8,124.
FAQ
Hibbert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hibbert?
Name Census estimates that about 4,473 living Americans carry the surname Hibbert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,627 residents.
How common is Hibbert?
Hibbert ranks #8,124 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,901 people with the surname Hibbert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Hibbert.
Has Hibbert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hibbert went from 4,037 recorded bearers to 3,901. That is a decrease of 136 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,220 to #8,124.
What does the Census say about the background of Hibbert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hibbert, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.9%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Hibbert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.9% (1,829 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hibbert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.9%), Black (43.3%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Hibbert (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 Hibbert mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English words meaning "high" and "bright." 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 Hibbert (1.31 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 share the surname Hibbert?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.