2000
#4,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,877
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.55
Rare Last name
Mabe
Derived from the Old English given name Mægenbeald, meaning "bold strength."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,352 Americans carry the last name Mabe. That puts it at #5,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mabe 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mabe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,621
Census rank
#5,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,411 bearers of the surname Mabe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mabe
The surname Mabe has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mæbbe," meaning "mab" or "little person," which was likely used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone of small stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a certain Walter Mabe is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that period.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from different parts of England, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Mabe in Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name had spread across the country by that time.
Interestingly, the name Mabe is also linked to certain place names, particularly in Cornwall, where it is believed to have originated from the Cornish word "mab," meaning "son." This connection is evident in places like Mabe Burnthouse and Mabe Arworthal, both located in Cornwall.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Mabe surname throughout history are:
1. William Mabe (c. 1490 - 1558), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. John Mabe (c. 1602 - 1679), a British merchant and explorer who is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the Kingdom of Siam (present-day Thailand).
3. Elizabeth Mabe (1670 - 1742), an early settler in the American colonies and one of the founders of the town of Mabetown, which is now part of West Virginia.
4. Robert Mabe (1785 - 1868), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
5. Jonathan Mabe (1823 - 1901), an American farmer and abolitionist who played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, helping to guide escaped slaves to freedom.
Overall, the surname Mabe has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in England and connections to various regions and notable individuals throughout its evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mabe
Among Census respondents with the surname Mabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mabe 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 Mabe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 5,922
- Two or more races3.8% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 46
- Black or African American0.6% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mabe
Mabe 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
#5,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,939
+62 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Down 338 places
2020
#5,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,411
-528 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,714 | 6,877 | 2.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,052 | 6,939 | 2.35 | +62 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 338 places |
| 2020 | #5,252 | 6,411 | 2.14 | -528 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 200 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 Mabe 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 | #5,052 | #5,252 | -4.0% |
| Count | 6,939 | 6,411 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.35 | 2.14 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mabe bearers went from 6,939 to 6,411 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,052 to #5,252.
FAQ
Mabe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mabe?
Name Census estimates that about 7,352 living Americans carry the surname Mabe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,621 residents.
How common is Mabe?
Mabe ranks #5,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,411 people with the surname Mabe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,352), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mabe.
Has Mabe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mabe went from 6,939 recorded bearers to 6,411. That is a decrease of 528 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,052 to #5,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Mabe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mabe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (5,922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mabe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mabe (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 Mabe mean?
Derived from the Old English given name Mægenbeald, meaning "bold strength." 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 Mabe (2.14 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 Mabe?
See how many people have the last name Mabe on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.