2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nobs
A derogatory term originally referring to aristocrats or nobility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Nobs. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nobs 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Nobs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobs, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nobs
The surname NOBS is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnob," which means a knob or a protuberance, referring to a person who lived near a prominent hill or knoll.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was William Nobs, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with people residing in areas near prominent hills or knolls, such as the village of Nobleys in Herefordshire, which was once spelled as "Nobbleys." This connection to place names further solidifies the name's topographical origins.
In the 16th century, the NOBS surname appeared in various records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, where a John Nobs was listed in 1524. Around the same time, a Richard Nobs was recorded in the Musters of Sussex in 1545.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the NOBS surname was Thomas Nobs, a prominent merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived from 1580 to 1648. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the region for several generations.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir William Nobs, a renowned military commander who served in the English Civil War under Oliver Cromwell. Born in 1610 in Staffordshire, he played a crucial role in several decisive battles and was knighted for his bravery and leadership in 1649.
In the 18th century, the NOBS surname was found in various regions of England, including the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Lincolnshire, where the marriage of John Nobs and Elizabeth Baker was recorded in 1723.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the NOBS surname. Among them was Jonathan Nobs, a renowned philosopher and author born in Yorkshire in 1812. His writings on ethics and morality gained significant recognition during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Emily Nobs, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who was born in Hampshire in 1845. She played a pivotal role in establishing several educational institutions for women and campaigned tirelessly for equal opportunities in education and employment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nobs
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobs, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nobs 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 Nobs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nobs
Nobs 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+10 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 174 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-13 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 174 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 13,358 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 Nobs 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 | #133,863 | #147,221 | -10.0% |
| Count | 126 | 113 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nobs bearers went from 126 to 113 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 13,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #147,221.
FAQ
Nobs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nobs?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Nobs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Nobs?
Nobs ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Nobs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Nobs.
Has Nobs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nobs went from 126 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Nobs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nobs, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Nobs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nobs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (7.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Nobs (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 Nobs mean?
A derogatory term originally referring to aristocrats or nobility. 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 Nobs (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 surname Nobs?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.