2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lubey
A surname possibly derived from the Old French word "loubé," meaning "tied" or "knotted."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lubey. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lubey 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lubey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lubey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lubey
The surname Lubey has its origins in England, first appearing in historical records in the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "luflic," meaning "lovely" or "delightful," likely referring to a person with a pleasant demeanor or appearance. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Luflyc."
Lubey is predominantly found in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia, where it is thought to have originated. The first recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a Robert Luflyc as a landowner in Norfolk.
In the 14th century, the Lubey surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for the county of Suffolk, indicating the name's presence in the region. The spelling had evolved to "Lufley" by this point.
One notable historical figure bearing the Lubey name was Sir John Lubey, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent landowner in Norfolk and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county in the late 1400s.
The Lubey surname can also be found in several ancient parish records, such as the baptismal records of St. Peter Mancroft Church in Norwich, Norfolk, where the name appears as "Lubye" in the 16th century.
Another individual of note was William Lubey, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in 1560 and served as Mayor of Norwich in 1611.
In the 17th century, the Lubey surname was sometimes associated with the nearby village of Luby in Norfolk, which may have influenced the spelling of the name during that period.
The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 for Suffolk list several Lubey households, indicating the continued presence of the name in the region.
During the 18th century, a notable figure was Captain Samuel Lubey, a mariner from Norfolk who served in the British Royal Navy. He was born in 1725 and gained recognition for his successful voyages and maritime exploits.
As the surname spread beyond East Anglia, it underwent various spelling variations, including Luby, Lubie, and Lubi, reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lubey
Among Census respondents with the surname Lubey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lubey 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 Lubey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lubey
Lubey 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,828 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-11 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,977 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 12,828 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 10,977 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 Lubey 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 | #139,228 | #150,205 | -7.9% |
| Count | 120 | 109 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lubey bearers went from 120 to 109 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 10,977 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lubey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lubey?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lubey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lubey?
Lubey ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Lubey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Lubey.
Has Lubey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lubey went from 120 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lubey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lubey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Lubey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lubey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Lubey (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 Lubey mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Old French word "loubé," meaning "tied" or "knotted." 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 Lubey (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 Lubey?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Lubey is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.