2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shrubb
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a shrubbery or thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Shrubb. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shrubb 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 Shrubb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Shrubb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrubb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shrubb
The surname SHRUBB originates from England, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "scrubb," which referred to a shrub or thicket of bushes. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or was associated with a dense area of shrubbery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SHRUBB name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Shrubbe" in this historic document, indicating its ancient origins.
During the 13th century, the name SHRUBB emerged in various records across different regions of England, including Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. These early mentions often referred to specific places or landholdings, such as "Shrubb Farm" or "Shrubb Manor," further reinforcing the connection between the name and the natural landscape.
Notable individuals bearing the SHRUBB surname throughout history include Sir John Shrubb (1573-1642), a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another individual of note was William Shrubb (1629-1704), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who contributed significantly to the study and cultivation of plants.
In the 18th century, the SHRUBB name gained further recognition with the birth of Samuel Shrubb (1758-1838), a celebrated English cricketer who played for the Hambledon Club, one of the earliest and most influential cricket teams in the country. His son, William Shrubb (1789-1867), followed in his footsteps and also became a notable cricketer, playing for the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club.
Moving into the 19th century, the SHRUBB family continued to make its mark, with James Shrubb (1812-1891), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Throughout its long history, the SHRUBB surname has maintained a strong connection to its English roots and the natural world, reflecting the enduring legacy of its origins as a descriptive name associated with shrubs and thickets.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shrubb
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrubb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shrubb 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 Shrubb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shrubb
Shrubb appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Shrubb 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shrubb bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Shrubb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shrubb?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Shrubb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Shrubb?
Shrubb ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Shrubb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Shrubb.
Has Shrubb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shrubb went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Shrubb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrubb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Shrubb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shrubb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Shrubb (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 Shrubb mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a shrubbery or thicket. 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 Shrubb (0.03 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 Shrubb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.