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

Libby, 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 Libby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Libby in America

Libby is the 3360th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Libby surname appeared 10,631 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Libby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Libby 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 Libby

The surname Libby originated in England, deriving from the Old English word "lib" or "liba," which means "a free person" or "one who is free." This name emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period, indicating that the bearer was a free person and not a serf or slave.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Libby can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Libba, Libbe, and Libbi, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Libby was John Libby (1480-1542), a prominent merchant and member of the Guild of Skinners in London. He is mentioned in records related to trade and guild activities during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another significant individual with this surname was William Libby (1612-1675), an English colonist who settled in New England in the 17th century. He was among the early settlers of Scarborough, Maine, and his descendants played a role in the development of the region.

In the 18th century, Samuel Libby (1730-1803) was a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Continental Army and participated in several battles, including the Battle of Saratoga.

During the 19th century, the surname Libby was associated with several notable individuals, such as Orin Grant Libby (1864-1952), an American businessman and politician who served as the 33rd Governor of Maine from 1917 to 1921.

Another prominent figure was Frederick J. Libby (1877-1964), an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the National Cash Register Company and was actively involved in various charitable organizations and educational institutions.

The surname Libby has been prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, where it is believed to have originated. Over time, the name spread to other regions, including Scotland and Ireland, as well as to North America through immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Libby

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!