2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ribis
A surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Ribis. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ribis 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Ribis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ribis
The surname RIBIS has its origins in the northern regions of Italy, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "rivus," meaning a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have been given to those who lived near a river or stream.
In the early records, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Rivi, Rivis, and Ribis, reflecting the regional dialects of the time. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cremonensis," a collection of medieval documents from the city of Cremona, where a certain Petrus de Ribis is mentioned in 1276.
The RIBIS name was also found in other regions of northern Italy, including Lombardy and Piedmont. In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Ribis (1315-1390) was a renowned scholar and philosopher from Milan, who wrote extensively on topics such as logic and metaphysics.
During the Renaissance period, the RIBIS family gained prominence in the city of Genoa. Alessandro Ribis (1460-1522) was a successful merchant and banker, known for his involvement in the lucrative trade between Italy and the Mediterranean regions.
In the 17th century, the name RIBIS appeared in the records of the Catholic Church. Father Giulio Ribis (1625-1698) was a Jesuit priest and theologian from Venice, who authored several works on religious subjects.
Another notable figure was Carlo Ribis (1785-1856), a military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Over the centuries, the RIBIS surname has spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by those who migrated or were part of the great waves of immigration. Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the name continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of family names that reflect the diverse cultural heritage of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ribis
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ribis 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 Ribis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ribis
Ribis 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,035 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,035 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 361 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 Ribis 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 | #143,149 | #142,788 | 0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 119 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ribis bearers went from 116 to 119 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,788.
FAQ
Ribis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ribis?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Ribis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Ribis?
Ribis ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Ribis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Ribis.
Has Ribis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ribis went from 116 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Ribis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ribis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Ribis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ribis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (7.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Ribis (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 Ribis mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature. 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 Ribis (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 Ribis?
Find out how many people have the surname Ribis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.