2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ribe
A topographic surname likely deriving from someone who lived near a riverbank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Ribe. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ribe 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Ribe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribe, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ribe
The surname RIBE has its origins in Denmark, where it first appeared as early as the 13th century. It is believed to derive from the Old Danish word 'rib', meaning a small watercourse or stream. This suggests that the name may have originated from a particular locality or settlement situated near a stream or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Danish Census Records of 1265, where a person named Thorkel Ribe is mentioned as a resident of the town of Ribe, located in southwestern Denmark. The town itself takes its name from the same Old Danish word, further strengthening the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ribe was primarily concentrated in the regions of Jutland and Funen, where it was associated with families involved in agriculture and fishing. In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Hans Ribe, a merchant and ship-owner from the town of Ribe, who played a significant role in the local trade and economy.
As the centuries progressed, the name RIBE spread to other parts of Denmark and occasionally appeared in historical records and documents. In the 17th century, a scholar and theologian named Jens Ribe (1589-1655) gained recognition for his contributions to the Danish Reformation and his writings on religious matters.
Another notable individual with this surname was Peter Ribe (1703-1780), a Danish naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the mid-18th century. His voyages contributed to the mapping and exploration of the northern coasts of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Niels Ribe (1821-1892), a prominent Danish politician and statesman who served as the Minister of the Interior and later as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. His political career and influence played a significant role in shaping Denmark's domestic and international policies during that period.
While the surname RIBE has its roots in Denmark, it has also been carried by individuals of Danish descent to other parts of the world, particularly during periods of migration and emigration. Nevertheless, the name remains closely linked to its original Danish heritage and the geographical associations with the town of Ribe and the surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ribe
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribe, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ribe 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 Ribe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.3% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino32.4% · 36
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ribe
Ribe 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,379 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-11 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,379 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 11,338 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 Ribe 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 | #137,327 | #148,665 | -8.3% |
| Count | 122 | 111 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ribe bearers went from 122 to 111 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 11,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #148,665.
FAQ
Ribe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ribe?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Ribe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Ribe?
Ribe ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Ribe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Ribe.
Has Ribe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ribe went from 122 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Ribe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribe, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ribe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.3% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ribe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.3%), Hispanic (32.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ribe (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 Ribe mean?
A topographic surname likely deriving from someone who lived near a riverbank. 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 Ribe (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 Americans have the surname Ribe?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.