2000
#14,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,887
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Kibbe
An English surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "pointed" or "sharp."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,137 Americans carry the last name Kibbe. That puts it at #15,179 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,390 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kibbe 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,390
Census rank
#15,179
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,864 bearers of the surname Kibbe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15179th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibbe, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kibbe
The surname Kibbe is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cybbe," which means "a small dwelling or hut." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a humble abode or a small village.
The earliest known records of the Kibbe surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Cibba," "Kibbea," and "Kibby," indicating the evolution of the surname over time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kibbe was John Kibbe, who was born in Leicestershire, England, around 1450. He was a landowner and farmer known for his involvement in local affairs. Another notable figure was William Kibbe, born in 1587 in Oxfordshire, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.
During the 17th century, the Kibbe surname gained prominence in the American colonies. Edward Kibbe, born in 1632 in England, immigrated to Massachusetts in 1654 and became one of the earliest settlers in the town of Enfield, Connecticut. His descendants played an active role in the development of the region.
In the 18th century, Richard Kibbe, born in 1720 in Connecticut, was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Continental Army and participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island.
Another notable bearer of the Kibbe surname was Sarah Kibbe, born in 1782 in Massachusetts. She was an early advocate for women's rights and education, founding one of the first schools for girls in her home state.
The Kibbe surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Kibblesworth in Northumberland and Kibworth in Leicestershire. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or been associated with early Kibbe families.
While the Kibbe surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the medieval period and the early settlement of the American colonies. The name continues to be carried by families across various regions, reflecting its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kibbe
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibbe, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kibbe 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 Kibbe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,678
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 62
- Two or more races3.0% · 55
- Black or African American2.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kibbe
Kibbe 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
#15,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,878
-9 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,080 places
2020
#15,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,864
-14 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 392 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,491 | 1,887 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,571 | 1,878 | 0.64 | -9 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 1,080 places |
| 2020 | #15,179 | 1,864 | 0.62 | -14 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 392 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 Kibbe 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 | #15,571 | #15,179 | 2.5% |
| Count | 1,878 | 1,864 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.62 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kibbe bearers went from 1,878 to 1,864 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 392 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,571 to #15,179.
FAQ
Kibbe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kibbe?
Name Census estimates that about 2,137 living Americans carry the surname Kibbe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,390 residents.
How common is Kibbe?
Kibbe ranks #15,179 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,864 people with the surname Kibbe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Kibbe.
Has Kibbe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kibbe went from 1,878 recorded bearers to 1,864. That is a decrease of 14 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,571 to #15,179.
What does the Census say about the background of Kibbe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibbe, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) 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 Kibbe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kibbe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), 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 Kibbe (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 Kibbe mean?
An English surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "pointed" or "sharp." 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 Kibbe (0.62 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 common is the surname Kibbe?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Kibbe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.