2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ribet
A French surname derived from the dialect word "ribé" meaning a small stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Ribet. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ribet 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Ribet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribet, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (9.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ribet
The surname RIBET has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "ribaut," which referred to a person who indulged in excessive drinking or revelry. This word is thought to have originated from the Frankish root "riba," meaning "to be disorderly or unruly."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RIBET can be found in the Parisian tax rolls of the 13th century. In these records, the name appears as "Ribaut," reflecting its original spelling. It is likely that this spelling variation was a result of the name's evolution from its Old French roots.
During the 14th century, the name RIBET began to appear in various historical documents across France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. In the Cartulaire de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, there are references to individuals with the surname RIBET.
One notable figure from history bearing this surname was Jean RIBET, a French playwright and poet born in 1470 in Rouen, Normandy. His works, which included comedies and farces, were popular during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the name RIBET was associated with a few minor noblemen in the Burgundy region. One such example is Claude RIBET, a landowner born in 1524 in Dijon, whose family held a small estate in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin.
The 17th century saw the rise of a prominent RIBET family in the city of Lyon. Michel RIBET (1612-1682) was a successful silk merchant and a prominent figure in the local community. His son, Pierre RIBET (1643-1712), followed in his footsteps and became a respected member of the city's merchant class.
Another notable individual with the surname RIBET was Marie-Françoise RIBET (1713-1786), a French nun and educator from Marseille. She founded a convent school for girls in Aix-en-Provence and was known for her dedication to providing quality education to young women.
In the 19th century, the name RIBET was associated with several academics and scholars. One such figure was Émile RIBET (1823-1897), a French mathematician and professor at the Sorbonne in Paris. He made significant contributions to the field of number theory and algebraic geometry.
Throughout its history, the surname RIBET has been found in various regions of France, though it appears to have been most prevalent in the northern and central areas of the country. While the name has evolved from its Old French origins, it has maintained a distinct connection to its linguistic roots and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ribet
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribet, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (9.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ribet 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 Ribet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 12
- Black or African American9.1% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ribet
Ribet 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,150 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,150 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,716 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 Ribet 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 | #135,593 | #141,309 | -4.2% |
| Count | 124 | 121 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ribet bearers went from 124 to 121 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,716 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #141,309.
FAQ
Ribet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ribet?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Ribet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Ribet?
Ribet ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Ribet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Ribet.
Has Ribet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ribet went from 124 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Ribet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribet, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (9.1%). 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 Ribet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ribet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Hispanic (9.9%), Black (9.1%). 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 Ribet (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 Ribet mean?
A French surname derived from the dialect word "ribé" meaning a small stream or brook. 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 Ribet (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 Ribet?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.