2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sciberras
A locational surname from a place in Malta.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Sciberras. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sciberras 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 Sciberras with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Sciberras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sciberras, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sciberras
The surname Sciberras is of Maltese origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Arabic phrase "siber ras," which translates to "the crevice in the rock." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe a person who lived near or in a rocky crevice or cliff.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sciberras can be found in the Militia Rolls of Malta from the late 15th century. These rolls were used to keep track of the men eligible for military service on the island. The name appears in various spellings, including "Sciberas" and "Xiberas," reflecting the influence of the Arabic language on the Maltese dialect.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Sciberras became more widespread across Malta. It was particularly common in the coastal towns and villages, reflecting the potential connection to maritime activities or coastal settlements. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include Guzepp Sciberras, a merchant and ship owner born in 1612 in Birgu, and Marija Sciberras, a renowned embroiderer from Valletta, born in 1678.
In the 18th century, the name Sciberras appeared in various parish records and official documents across Malta. One prominent figure was Vincenzo Sciberras, a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in Malta, including the Palazzo de Piro in Mdina. He was born in 1732 and passed away in 1809.
The 19th century saw the name Sciberras spread beyond Malta as individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. Giuseppe Sciberras, born in 1842, was a well-known painter who studied in Rome and exhibited his works throughout Europe. Another notable individual was Bartolomeo Sciberras, born in 1869, who served as the Rector of the University of Malta from 1919 to 1924.
In the early 20th century, the name Sciberras continued to be widely used in Malta and among Maltese communities abroad. One prominent figure was Ġużè Sciberras, born in 1900, who was a renowned Maltese writer and poet. His works were instrumental in preserving and promoting the Maltese language and culture.
Throughout its history, the surname Sciberras has remained closely tied to its Maltese roots, reflecting the unique cultural and linguistic heritage of the island. While the exact origins of the name may be uncertain, it has endured as a distinctive and recognizable surname, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and connections to the island's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sciberras
Among Census respondents with the surname Sciberras, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sciberras 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 Sciberras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 11
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sciberras
Sciberras 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+5 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,244 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 4,244 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 11,894 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 Sciberras 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 | #133,863 | #145,757 | -8.9% |
| Count | 126 | 115 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sciberras bearers went from 126 to 115 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 11,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #145,757.
FAQ
Sciberras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sciberras?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Sciberras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Sciberras?
Sciberras ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Sciberras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Sciberras.
Has Sciberras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sciberras went from 126 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Sciberras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sciberras, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sciberras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sciberras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sciberras (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 Sciberras mean?
A locational surname from a place in Malta. 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 Sciberras (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 share the surname Sciberras?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.