2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Leibe
A name derived from the German word meaning "body" or "torso".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Leibe. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leibe 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Leibe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leibe, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leibe
The surname Leibe has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "lieb," meaning "dear" or "beloved." The name likely referred to a person who was affectionate or well-liked within their community.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Leibe can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of historical records from the region of Silesia, now part of modern-day Poland and Germany. In this manuscript, dated around 1270, a landowner named Heinrich Leibe is mentioned as a witness to a legal transaction.
In the 15th century, the Leibe surname appeared in several municipal records and tax registers across various towns and cities in the German states. One notable example is Johannes Leibe, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who is recorded as having traded goods with merchants from Italy and the Netherlands in the late 1400s.
The name Leibe has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 16th century, Hans Leibe (1508-1572) was a prominent Protestant reformer and theologian who worked alongside Martin Luther and played a crucial role in establishing the Lutheran church in Germany.
Another notable figure was Christian Leibe (1670-1734), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and influenced the development of Baroque music in Germany.
In the 19th century, Friedrich Leibe (1798-1876) was a German educator and pioneer in the field of physical education. He developed innovative teaching methods that emphasized the importance of physical activity and outdoor exercises for children's overall development.
The name Leibe has also been found in various place names throughout Germany. For example, the village of Leibenau in the state of Baden-Württemberg derives its name from the Old German word "lieb," suggesting a connection to the surname's origins.
While the Leibe surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich history and significance of this surname within the German cultural context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leibe
Among Census respondents with the surname Leibe, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Leibe 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 Leibe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leibe
Leibe 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,791 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 12,791 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 597 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 Leibe 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 | #151,532 | #150,935 | 0.4% |
| Count | 108 | 108 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leibe bearers went from 108 to 108 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 597 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #150,935.
FAQ
Leibe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leibe?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Leibe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Leibe?
Leibe ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Leibe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Leibe.
Has Leibe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leibe went from 108 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Leibe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leibe, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Leibe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leibe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Leibe (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 Leibe mean?
A name derived from the German word meaning "body" or "torso". 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 Leibe (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 common is the surname Leibe?
If you just want to know how many people are called Leibe, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.