2000
#861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.62
Uncommon Last name
Huber
A German occupational surname referring to a landowner or one who dwells in a small house or hut.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 40,645 Americans carry the last name Huber. That puts it at #972 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Huber 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 Huber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,433
Census rank
#972
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
35K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 35,444 bearers of the surname Huber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 972nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Huber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Huber
The surname Huber originated in Germany and has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Huber" or "Hueber," which means a farmer or peasant who owned a small plot of land known as a "Hufe" or "Hueb." This term was commonly used in southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and parts of Austria.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Huber can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable mention is found in the town records of Augsburg, Bavaria, where a Hugo Huber was listed as a landowner in 1284. Another early appearance of the name is in the Bavarian town of Würzburg, where a Johannes Huber was documented as a citizen in 1312.
During the Middle Ages, the Huber surname was closely associated with agricultural communities and landowners. It was not uncommon for families to adopt surnames based on their occupations or the geographical features of their land. As such, the name Huber became a widespread surname in rural areas of southern Germany and parts of Austria.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Huber surname was Hans Huber, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1492 to 1553. He was renowned for his woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious and mythological scenes. Another notable figure was Franz Huber, a German entomologist and naturalist born in 1763. He made significant contributions to the study of bees and their behavior, earning him the title "Father of Bee Study."
In the 16th century, the Huber family played a prominent role in the Reformation movement in Germany. Caspar Huber (1491-1547) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer who worked closely with Martin Luther and helped spread the teachings of the Protestant Reformation. His son, Samuel Huber (1547-1624), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned Protestant theologian and philosopher.
The Huber surname also gained prominence in the field of literature. Victor Aimé Huber (1800-1869) was a French writer and literary critic who served as the curator of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France). His works focused on the history of literature and the study of German and Scandinavian languages.
Another significant figure with the Huber surname was Max Huber (1919-1992), a Swiss graphic designer and typographer. He is best known for creating the iconic Swiss International style of graphic design, which emphasized simplicity, legibility, and objectivity in visual communication.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the surname Huber throughout history, reflecting its widespread presence in various fields and regions, particularly in German-speaking countries and parts of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Huber
Among Census respondents with the surname Huber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Huber 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 Huber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 32,771
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,087
- Two or more races3.0% · 1,055
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 269
- Black or African American0.4% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 109
Timeline
Historical Census data for Huber
Huber 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
#933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,170
+441 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 12.60
Rank movement Down 72 places
2020
#972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,444
-1,726 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 11.86
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #861 | 36,729 | 13.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #933 | 37,170 | 12.60 | +441 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 72 places |
| 2020 | #972 | 35,444 | 11.86 | -1,726 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 39 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 Huber 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 | #933 | #972 | -4.2% |
| Count | 37,170 | 35,444 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 12.60 | 11.86 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Huber bearers went from 37,170 to 35,444 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #933 to #972.
FAQ
Huber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Huber?
Name Census estimates that about 40,645 living Americans carry the surname Huber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,433 residents.
How common is Huber?
Huber ranks #972 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 35,444 people with the surname Huber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (40,645), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Huber.
Has Huber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Huber went from 37,170 recorded bearers to 35,444. That is a decrease of 1,726 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #933 to #972.
What does the Census say about the background of Huber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Huber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Huber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (32,771 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Huber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Huber (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 Huber mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a landowner or one who dwells in a small house or hut. 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 Huber (11.86 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 Huber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.