2000
#51,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 381
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Sibbett
A dialectal English surname derived from a medieval nickname meaning "kinsman" or "relative".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 425 Americans carry the last name Sibbett. That puts it at #58,949 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 806,481 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sibbett 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
425
1 in 806,481
Census rank
#58,949
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
371
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 371 bearers of the surname Sibbett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58949th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sibbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sibbett
The surname Sibbett has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sib," which means "kinsman" or "relative." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who was closely related to a prominent family or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sibbett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where it appears as "Sibbet." This historical document mentions a person by this name paying taxes during the reign of King Henry II.
In the 13th century, the name Sibbett began to appear in various records and manuscripts, such as the Curia Regis Rolls and the Hundred Rolls. These documents provide insights into the geographical distribution of the name, indicating that it was particularly prevalent in counties like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire.
During the 14th century, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations like "Sybbett" and "Sibbyt" appearing in records. One notable person bearing this surname was John Sibbett, a landowner from Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
In the 15th century, the name Sibbett continued to be found in various historical records, including the Chancery Proceedings and the Court of Common Pleas. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Sibbett, a merchant from Lancashire who was involved in international trade and mentioned in the Port Books of 1472.
By the 16th century, the surname Sibbett had spread across England, with examples found in places like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Sussex. One notable figure from this time was William Sibbett, a scholar and theologian from Cambridge who was born in 1535 and became a renowned academic.
In the 17th century, the name Sibbett gained further prominence, with individuals like Robert Sibbett, a successful merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, born in 1612. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Sibbett, a poet and writer from Lincolnshire, who was born in 1674 and published several works during her lifetime.
The 18th century saw the continued use of the surname Sibbett, with examples found in various parish records and legal documents. One notable person from this period was John Sibbett, a prominent lawyer and judge from Lancashire, who was born in 1721 and served as a Justice of the Peace.
As the centuries progressed, the Sibbett surname continued to be represented across various fields, including literature, academia, and commerce. Despite its relatively uncommon nature, the name has maintained a presence throughout the historical records of England, reflecting its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sibbett
Among Census respondents with the surname Sibbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sibbett 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 Sibbett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 316
- Two or more races8.1% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sibbett
Sibbett 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
#52,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
+18 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 685 places
2020
#58,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
-28 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 6,912 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #51,352 | 381 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,037 | 399 | 0.14 | +18 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 685 places |
| 2020 | #58,949 | 371 | 0.12 | -28 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 6,912 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 Sibbett 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 | #52,037 | #58,949 | -13.3% |
| Count | 399 | 371 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.12 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sibbett bearers went from 399 to 371 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 6,912 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,037 to #58,949.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sibbett
FAQ
Sibbett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sibbett?
Name Census estimates that about 425 living Americans carry the surname Sibbett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 806,481 residents.
How common is Sibbett?
Sibbett ranks #58,949 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 371 people with the surname Sibbett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Sibbett.
Has Sibbett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sibbett went from 399 recorded bearers to 371. That is a decrease of 28 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,037 to #58,949.
What does the Census say about the background of Sibbett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sibbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Sibbett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sibbett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Two or More Races (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Sibbett (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 Sibbett mean?
A dialectal English surname derived from a medieval nickname meaning "kinsman" or "relative". 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 Sibbett (0.12 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 are called Sibbett?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Sibbett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.