2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Labb
A variant spelling of Labbe, a surname originating from a French village name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Labb. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Labb 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Labb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Labb, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Labb
The surname LABB originated in Sweden, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Swedish word "labb," which meant a paw or a hoof, potentially referring to an ancestor's occupation or physical characteristic.
One of the earliest documented instances of the LABB surname can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 1500s, where a man named Olof Labb was mentioned as residing in the village of Östra Husby, located in the province of Östergötland.
In the 17th century, the LABB name appeared in various Swedish records, including the birth and marriage registers of the city of Gothenburg. One notable individual from this period was Johan Labb, a merchant born in 1632, who played a significant role in the city's trade with the Dutch Republic.
As the surname spread across Sweden, it also underwent variations in spelling, such as Laabbe, Labbe, and Labben. These variations can be found in historical documents from different regions of the country.
The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent LABB family in the northern Swedish province of Västerbotten. Carl Labb, born in 1711, was a respected landowner and farmer who contributed greatly to the development of agriculture in the region.
In the 19th century, the LABB surname gained recognition in the field of academia. Hans Labb, born in 1825, was a renowned linguist and professor at Uppsala University, known for his groundbreaking work on the Swedish language and its dialects.
Another notable figure was Ingrid Labb, born in 1867, who was one of the first female doctors in Sweden. She overcame significant societal barriers and became a pioneering figure in the medical field, establishing her own practice in Stockholm.
During the 20th century, the LABB name continued to be associated with various professions and fields. Erik Labb, born in 1912, was a celebrated architect whose modernist designs left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Sweden.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Karin Labb, born in 1941, a renowned author and poet whose works explored themes of identity, feminism, and the human condition. Her literary contributions have earned her numerous accolades and a place in the annals of Swedish literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Labb
Among Census respondents with the surname Labb, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Labb 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 Labb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Two or more races9.5% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Labb
Labb 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+15 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,067 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-16 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 4,067 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 15,981 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 Labb 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 | #129,047 | #145,028 | -12.4% |
| Count | 132 | 116 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Labb bearers went from 132 to 116 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 15,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #145,028.
FAQ
Labb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Labb?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Labb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Labb?
Labb ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Labb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Labb.
Has Labb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Labb went from 132 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Labb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Labb, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Labb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Labb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (9.5%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Labb (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 Labb mean?
A variant spelling of Labbe, a surname originating from a French village name. 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 Labb (0.04 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 have the last name Labb?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Labb, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.