2000
#9,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Loeb
A surname of German and Jewish origin, derived from the Middle High German word "loebe" meaning lion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,412 Americans carry the last name Loeb. That puts it at #10,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loeb 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
3.4K
1 in 100,456
Census rank
#10,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,975 bearers of the surname Loeb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loeb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loeb
The surname Loeb originates from Germany and can be traced back to the early 17th century. It is derived from the German word "Löb" or "Lob," which means "praise" or "glory." The name was likely given to individuals who were known for their praiseworthy deeds or reputation.
The earliest recorded instances of the Loeb surname can be found in various German church records and documents from the 1600s. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Hans Loeb, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1622.
In the 18th century, the Loeb name began to spread across Europe, with many families migrating to different regions. One notable individual from this period was Johann Loeb, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1700 to 1763.
The 19th century saw the Loeb surname gain prominence, particularly in the fields of business and academia. Jacques Loeb, a renowned German-American biologist and pioneer in the field of artificial parthenogenesis, was born in 1859 and made significant contributions to the study of cellular biology.
Another prominent figure with the Loeb surname was Solomon Loeb, a German-American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1828 to 1903. He co-founded the investment banking firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and played a significant role in the development of the American railroad industry.
In the 20th century, the Loeb name continued to be associated with notable individuals across various disciplines. Pierre Loeb, a French mathematician and physicist, made significant contributions to the field of statistical mechanics and was born in 1897.
John L. Loeb, an American businessman and philanthropist, was born in 1900 and served as the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from 1981 to 1983. He was also a prominent art collector and a benefactor of several cultural institutions.
Throughout its history, the Loeb surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and achievement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loeb
Among Census respondents with the surname Loeb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Loeb 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 Loeb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 2,662
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 112
- Black or African American3.0% · 90
- Two or more races2.8% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loeb
Loeb 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
#10,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,059
-60 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 928 places
2020
#10,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,975
-84 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,563 | 3,119 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,491 | 3,059 | 1.04 | -60 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 928 places |
| 2020 | #10,300 | 2,975 | 1.00 | -84 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 191 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 Loeb 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 | #10,491 | #10,300 | 1.8% |
| Count | 3,059 | 2,975 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 1.00 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loeb bearers went from 3,059 to 2,975 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 191 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,491 to #10,300.
FAQ
Loeb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loeb?
Name Census estimates that about 3,412 living Americans carry the surname Loeb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,456 residents.
How common is Loeb?
Loeb ranks #10,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,975 people with the surname Loeb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,412), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Loeb.
Has Loeb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loeb went from 3,059 recorded bearers to 2,975. That is a decrease of 84 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,491 to #10,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Loeb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loeb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (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 Loeb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (2,662 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loeb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Black (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 Loeb (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 Loeb mean?
A surname of German and Jewish origin, derived from the Middle High German word "loebe" meaning lion. 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 Loeb (1.00 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 Americans have the surname Loeb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.