2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rebb
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the German word "Rabe" meaning raven or crow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Rebb. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rebb 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Rebb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rebb
The surname REBB is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "reeb," which means "vine" or "vineyard." This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the cultivation of grapes or the production of wine.
In the medieval period, surnames were often derived from occupations, locations, or personal characteristics. The name REBB could have been given to someone who lived near a vineyard or worked in the wine industry. Alternatively, it may have been a descriptive surname given to someone with a certain physical characteristic, perhaps related to their appearance or personality.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name REBB can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, Germany. In this manuscript, dated around 1300, a person named "Henricus Rebb" is mentioned in connection with a land transaction.
Another notable early bearer of the surname was Johann Rebb, a German author and educator who lived in the 16th century (c. 1510-1580). He was known for his works on pedagogy and his efforts to promote the education of children from all social classes.
In the 17th century, a man named Hans Rebb (c. 1620-1685) gained recognition as a skilled glassmaker in the town of Naumburg, Germany. His work contributed to the region's reputation for producing high-quality glassware.
Moving into the 18th century, the name REBB appears in the records of the Prussian Army. Carl Friedrich Rebb (1735-1810) was a Prussian military officer who served in the Seven Years' War and later became a respected military strategist and author.
Another notable figure with the surname REBB was the German philosopher and theologian Johann Friedrich Rebb (1775-1841). He was a proponent of Kantian idealism and wrote extensively on the relationship between religion and philosophy.
Throughout its history, the surname REBB has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, with some branches also spreading to neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. While not among the most common surnames, it has endured for centuries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rebb
Among Census respondents with the surname Rebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rebb 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 Rebb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.5% · 74
- Black or African American22.9% · 24
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rebb
Rebb 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,343 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-13 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,343 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 11,849 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 Rebb 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 | #141,140 | #152,989 | -8.4% |
| Count | 118 | 105 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rebb bearers went from 118 to 105 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 11,849 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,989.
FAQ
Rebb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rebb?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Rebb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Rebb?
Rebb ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Rebb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Rebb.
Has Rebb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rebb went from 118 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Rebb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Rebb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.5% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rebb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.5%), Black (22.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Rebb (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 Rebb mean?
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the German word "Rabe" meaning raven or crow. 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 Rebb (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 last name Rebb?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Rebb at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.