2000
#18,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,423
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Ribble
An English habitational surname derived from the river Ribble in Lancashire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,556 Americans carry the last name Ribble. That puts it at #19,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 220,279 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ribble 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 Ribble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 220,279
Census rank
#19,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,357 bearers of the surname Ribble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ribble
The surname Ribble is of English origin, specifically from the county of Lancashire in the northwest of England. The name is derived from the River Ribble, a major waterway that flows through the region. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "ripel," meaning "ripe" or "streaked," referring to the rippled or streaked appearance of the river's waters.
The earliest known record of the surname Ribble dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1246 as "de Ribbell." This indicates that the name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or by the River Ribble.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries mentioning places along the River Ribble, such as Ribblecaster (now Ribchester) and Ribbleham (now Ribbesford). These place names suggest that the river and the associated surname have a long history in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ribble was John Ribble, who was born around 1480 in Lancashire. He was a prominent landowner and farmer in the area. Another notable figure was Robert Ribble (1586-1661), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the Ribble family established themselves in the village of Ribchester, which lies along the banks of the River Ribble. This connection to the place name further solidified the surname's association with the river and the region.
Other notable individuals with the surname Ribble include:
1. William Ribble (1682-1754), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Lancashire.
2. Elizabeth Ribble (1710-1782), an influential philanthropist and patron of the arts in Lancashire.
3. Richard Ribble (1761-1824), a renowned horticulturist and botanist who contributed significantly to the development of garden design in England.
4. James Ribble (1820-1892), an influential industrialist and textile manufacturer in Lancashire during the Industrial Revolution.
5. Mary Ribble (1875-1962), a pioneering woman in the field of education, who established several schools in the Lancashire region.
The surname Ribble has maintained a strong association with the county of Lancashire and the River Ribble throughout its history. While it may not be a widely known surname globally, it carries a rich local heritage and connection to the landscapes and communities of northwest England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ribble
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ribble 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 Ribble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 1,231
- Two or more races4.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 47
- Black or African American0.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ribble
Ribble 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
#17,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,604
+181 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 528 places
2020
#19,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,357
-247 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 2,315 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,069 | 1,423 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,541 | 1,604 | 0.54 | +181 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 528 places |
| 2020 | #19,856 | 1,357 | 0.45 | -247 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 2,315 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 Ribble 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 | #17,541 | #19,856 | -13.2% |
| Count | 1,604 | 1,357 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.45 | -15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ribble bearers went from 1,604 to 1,357 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 2,315 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,541 to #19,856.
FAQ
Ribble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ribble?
Name Census estimates that about 1,556 living Americans carry the surname Ribble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 220,279 residents.
How common is Ribble?
Ribble ranks #19,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,357 people with the surname Ribble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,556), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Ribble.
Has Ribble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ribble went from 1,604 recorded bearers to 1,357. That is a decrease of 247 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,541 to #19,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Ribble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) 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 Ribble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (1,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ribble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%), 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 Ribble (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 Ribble mean?
An English habitational surname derived from the river Ribble in Lancashire. 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 Ribble (0.45 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 Ribble?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.