2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Philby
An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Philby in Derbyshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Philby. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Philby 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 Philby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Philby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Philby, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Philby
The surname Philby is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely derived from the Old English words "phil" or "phyl," meaning a deep valley or ravine, and "by," meaning a farmstead or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Philby name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Philby, Philbie, Phillby, and Phillbie. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual record-keepers.
Notable individuals bearing the Philby surname include:
1. John Philby (1810-1892), a renowned English explorer and traveler who embarked on several expeditions to the Arabian Peninsula in the 19th century.
2. Harry St. John Bridger Philby (1885-1960), a British explorer, writer, and intelligence officer who played a significant role in the Middle East during the early 20th century.
3. Kim Philby (1912-1988), a Soviet double agent who worked as a high-ranking member of British intelligence during World War II and the Cold War.
4. Dora Philby (1889-1968), an English writer and wife of Harry St. John Bridger Philby, who documented her experiences in the Arabian Peninsula in her memoir "Philbys of Arabia."
5. Rufus Philby (1921-2002), the son of Harry St. John Bridger Philby, who followed in his father's footsteps as an explorer and author, writing about his travels in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Philby name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Philby in Derbyshire and Philby in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its connection to specific geographic locations.
While the Philby surname may not be among the most common in the English-speaking world, it carries a rich history and has been borne by notable figures whose contributions to exploration, literature, and espionage have left an indelible mark on their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Philby
Among Census respondents with the surname Philby, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Philby 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 Philby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Philby
Philby 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,576 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,638 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,576 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,638 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 Philby 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 | #149,395 | #145,757 | 2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 115 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Philby bearers went from 110 to 115 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,638 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,757.
FAQ
Philby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Philby?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Philby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Philby?
Philby ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Philby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Philby.
Has Philby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Philby went from 110 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Philby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Philby, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Philby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Philby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Philby (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 Philby mean?
An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Philby in Derbyshire. 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 Philby (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 Philby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.