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

McKibben, 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 McKibben surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKibben in America

McKibben is the 6801st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKibben surname appeared 4,958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McKibben.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKibben 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 McKibben

The surname McKibben is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Bride," meaning "servant of St. Brigid." It dates back to the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

In its earliest forms, the name was spelled as "MacGillebride" or "MacIllebride." Over time, it evolved into various spellings, including McKibben, MacKibben, and Kibben. These variations emerged due to regional dialects, scribal errors, and anglicization.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster from the 13th century, which mentions a "Gillabride MacGillabride" in the year 1226. The name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century.

Some notable individuals with the surname McKibben throughout history include:

1. John McKibben (c. 1640-1718), an early settler in Pennsylvania and a Quaker from Ireland.
2. David McKibben (1853-1923), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
3. Ralph McKibben (1892-1969), an American journalist and war correspondent during World War II.
4. Bill McKibben (born 1960), an American environmentalist, author, and activist known for his work on climate change.
5. Sara McKibben (born 1981), an American mathematician and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The name has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Kilbride (derived from "Cill Bhride," meaning "Church of St. Brigid") and Bridgend, which may have influenced the formation of the surname.

While the McKibben surname is predominantly found in Scotland, it has also spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, and North America due to migration and diaspora over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKibben

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

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

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

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