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

Nibbs, 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 Nibbs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nibbs in America

Nibbs is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nibbs surname appeared 236 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nibbs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nibbs 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 Nibbs

The surname "NIBBS" is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cnibba," which means "hillock" or "small hill." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or on a small hill or elevated area of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John le Cnibbes. The prefix "le" was a common way of indicating a person's occupation, place of origin, or other distinguishing characteristic during that time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Nybbes" and "Nibbes," reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the lack of standardized spelling during that era. For example, a record from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1490 mentions a William Nybbes.

The surname "NIBBS" may also have connections to certain place names, particularly those derived from Old English words related to hills or elevated areas. One possible example is the village of Knibbs Green in Worcestershire, which could have been a place of origin for some early bearers of the name.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname "NIBBS." One early example is John Nibbs, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. Another is Sir Thomas Nibbs, who served as a member of Parliament for the borough of Cricklade in Wiltshire in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, there was Samuel Nibbs, a notable clockmaker and watchmaker who lived and worked in London from around 1720 to 1780. Additionally, John Nibbs (1791-1865) was a respected surgeon and medical writer who practiced in London and published several works on anatomy and surgery.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir George Hungerford Nibbs (1820-1894) was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and later served as a colonial governor in various parts of the British Empire.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname "NIBBS," highlighting its long-standing presence and various connections to different regions and occupations within England and the broader United Kingdom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nibbs

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

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

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

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