2000
#8,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,765
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Hubbs
A patronymic surname derived from the Middle English given name Hubb, a variant of Hubert, meaning "bright heart."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,978 Americans carry the last name Hubbs. That puts it at #9,038 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,162 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hubbs 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 Hubbs with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,162
Census rank
#9,038
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,469 bearers of the surname Hubbs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9038th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hubbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hubbs
The surname Hubbs is of English origin, traced back to the early medieval period in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "hob," which referred to a small hill or a knoll, often found in place names. This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of the name lived near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hobbe" and "Hobb." This historic document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented the ownership of lands and properties throughout England.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Hubbe," "Hubbes," and "Hubbs," reflecting the evolution of spelling practices over time. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the interpretation of scribes who recorded the name.
Notable individuals with the surname Hubbs include Sir John Hubbs (c. 1545-1610), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall. Another prominent figure was William Hubbs (1619-1696), a Puritan settler and landowner in colonial Massachusetts.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to the American colonies. One example is Robert Hubbs (1687-1745), an early settler in New Jersey who established the Hubbs family in the region.
In the 19th century, Hubbs families were found across England, particularly in counties such as Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Hubbs (1812-1889), a prominent architect and surveyor in Somerset.
Another significant figure was Frederick Hubbs (1846-1920), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and was instrumental in the development of the town of Hubbs Creek, named after his family.
Throughout its history, the surname Hubbs has maintained its connection to its English roots, with various spellings and regional variations reflecting the diverse journeys of those who bore the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hubbs
Among Census respondents with the surname Hubbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hubbs 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 Hubbs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 3,060
- Two or more races4.2% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 131
- Black or African American2.5% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hubbs
Hubbs 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
#8,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,873
+108 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 390 places
2020
#9,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,469
-404 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,115 | 3,765 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,505 | 3,873 | 1.31 | +108 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 390 places |
| 2020 | #9,038 | 3,469 | 1.16 | -404 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 533 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 Hubbs 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 | #8,505 | #9,038 | -6.3% |
| Count | 3,873 | 3,469 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.16 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hubbs bearers went from 3,873 to 3,469 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 533 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,505 to #9,038.
FAQ
Hubbs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hubbs?
Name Census estimates that about 3,978 living Americans carry the surname Hubbs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,162 residents.
How common is Hubbs?
Hubbs ranks #9,038 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,469 people with the surname Hubbs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,978), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Hubbs.
Has Hubbs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hubbs went from 3,873 recorded bearers to 3,469. That is a decrease of 404 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,505 to #9,038.
What does the Census say about the background of Hubbs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hubbs, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hubbs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (3,060 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hubbs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Hubbs (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 Hubbs mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the Middle English given name Hubb, a variant of Hubert, meaning "bright heart." 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 Hubbs (1.16 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 Americans have the surname Hubbs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.