2000
#10,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Philbrick
An English occupational surname referring to a brick maker or layer, derived from Old English "filbrigg" meaning "fill bridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,179 Americans carry the last name Philbrick. That puts it at #10,968 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,818 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Philbrick 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 Philbrick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,818
Census rank
#10,968
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,772 bearers of the surname Philbrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10968th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Philbrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Philbrick
The surname PHILBRICK is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to individuals who hailed from a specific area or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a place called "Filibroc" or "Filebroc," which is thought to be the ancestral home of those bearing the name PHILBRICK.
The name itself is derived from the Old English words "fil" (meaning "thread" or "filament") and "broc" (meaning "brook" or "stream"), suggesting that the original place name referred to a location near a small, winding stream. Over time, the spelling evolved from "Filibroc" to "Philbrick," reflecting the natural changes in language and pronunciation.
In the 13th century, records show a family by the name of PHILBRICK residing in the county of Somerset, England. One notable member was William PHILBRICK, born around 1240, who is mentioned in local tax records as a landowner in the village of Philbrick, which likely derived its name from the family's presence in the area.
Another significant figure in the history of this surname was Sir John PHILBRICK (1551-1628), a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of London. He was a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1617.
During the 17th century, the PHILBRICK family expanded its reach across England, with several members achieving notable positions and recognition. One such individual was Thomas PHILBRICK (1633-1709), a clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in the city of Bath.
In the 18th century, the name PHILBRICK gained further prominence with the birth of Richard PHILBRICK (1755-1835), a renowned English architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the Shire Hall in Monmouth and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
As the centuries progressed, the PHILBRICK surname continued to spread across the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who emigrated from England in search of new opportunities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Philbrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Philbrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Philbrick 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 Philbrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,571
- Two or more races3.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Philbrick
Philbrick 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
#10,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,915
+19 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 707 places
2020
#10,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,772
-143 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,212 | 2,896 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,919 | 2,915 | 0.99 | +19 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 707 places |
| 2020 | #10,968 | 2,772 | 0.93 | -143 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 49 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 Philbrick 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 | #10,919 | #10,968 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,915 | 2,772 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.93 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Philbrick bearers went from 2,915 to 2,772 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,919 to #10,968.
FAQ
Philbrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Philbrick?
Name Census estimates that about 3,179 living Americans carry the surname Philbrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,818 residents.
How common is Philbrick?
Philbrick ranks #10,968 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,772 people with the surname Philbrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Philbrick.
Has Philbrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Philbrick went from 2,915 recorded bearers to 2,772. That is a decrease of 143 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,919 to #10,968.
What does the Census say about the background of Philbrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Philbrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Philbrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Philbrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Philbrick (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 Philbrick mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a brick maker or layer, derived from Old English "filbrigg" meaning "fill bridge." 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 Philbrick (0.93 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 share the surname Philbrick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.