2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rabbers
A variant spelling of the surname Rabbits, possibly referring to someone who hunted or dealt in rabbits.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Rabbers. 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 Rabbers 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
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 Rabbers 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 Rabbers, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rabbers
The surname Rabbers is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "rabben," which means "to rove or wander." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who lived a nomadic lifestyle or traveled frequently.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rabbers can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1285, where a certain William Rabbers is mentioned. This document provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames in medieval England.
During the 14th century, the name Rabbers appears to have been particularly concentrated in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire. This is evidenced by several entries in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from the late 1300s, which reference individuals with the surname Rabbers.
In the 15th century, the surname Rabbers began to spread more widely across England. One notable figure from this period was John Rabbers, who was born in Lincolnshire in 1421. He served as a soldier during the Wars of the Roses and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the surname varied, with variations such as Rabber, Rabor, and Raber appearing in various records. One intriguing example is the case of Thomas Raber, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the transatlantic trade in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Rabbers gained prominence in the American colonies, as several individuals with this surname were among the early settlers. One such individual was William Rabbers, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and went on to establish a successful tobacco plantation.
The 18th century saw the emergence of some notable figures with the surname Rabbers. One example is Samuel Rabbers, a renowned clockmaker from London who was born in 1712. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy of the time.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the Rabbers surname became associated with various trades and professions. One such individual was Richard Rabbers, a successful industrialist from Manchester who lived from 1823 to 1892 and was instrumental in the development of textile manufacturing in the region.
Throughout its history, the surname Rabbers has been borne by individuals from diverse walks of life, ranging from soldiers and merchants to artisans and industrialists. While the exact origins of the name may be shrouded in mystery, its enduring presence across centuries and continents is a testament to its resilience and the rich tapestry of human experience it represents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rabbers
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabbers, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rabbers 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 Rabbers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 90
- Two or more races9.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rabbers
Rabbers 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,617 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,617 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 6,871 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 Rabbers 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 | #152,628 | #145,757 | 4.5% |
| Count | 107 | 115 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rabbers bearers went from 107 to 115 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 6,871 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,757.
FAQ
Rabbers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rabbers?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Rabbers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Rabbers?
Rabbers 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 Rabbers. 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 Rabbers.
Has Rabbers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rabbers went from 107 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Rabbers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabbers, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.6%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Rabbers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rabbers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Two or More Races (9.6%), Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Rabbers (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 Rabbers mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Rabbits, possibly referring to someone who hunted or dealt in rabbits. 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 Rabbers (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 common is the surname Rabbers?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Rabbers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.