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

Ibe, 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 Ibe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ibe in America

Ibe is the 25954th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ibe surname appeared 946 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ibe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ibe 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 Ibe

The surname Ibe originates from the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It likely emerged during the 15th or 16th century as a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Ibe, which means "born on an Ibo day" in the Igbo language.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ibe surname can be traced back to the 17th century, when it appeared in local records and documents from the region now known as Anambra State in Nigeria. Some of these early mentions include references to individuals such as Ibe Okwuosa (c. 1620-1685), a renowned trader and community leader from the town of Nnobi.

In the 18th century, the Ibe name was also found in areas like Awka and Onitsha, where it was associated with notable families and individuals involved in traditional governance and commerce. One example is Ibe Nwankwo (c. 1730-1810), a respected elder and advisor from the village of Agulu.

As the Igbo people migrated and settled in different parts of Nigeria and beyond, the Ibe surname spread further. During the 19th century, it appeared in records from various parts of the Niger Delta region, including the account of Ibe Okoye (c. 1820-1895), a prominent trader and landowner from the town of Asaba.

In more recent times, the Ibe surname has been carried by several influential figures, such as Akanu Ibiam (1900-1995), a Nigerian statesman and former governor of the Eastern Region, and Okogbue Ibe (1919-2008), a renowned artist and sculptor known for his Nri-inspired works.

Other notable individuals with the Ibe surname include Chike Ibe (born 1948), a Nigerian-American business executive and former CEO of Commonwealth Bank & Trust Company, and Nnamdi Ibe (born 1972), a Nigerian writer and playwright whose works explore Igbo culture and traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ibe

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

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

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

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