Find out how popular the last name Surber is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Surber.

Surber, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Surber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Surber in America

Surber is the 8220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Surber surname appeared 4,037 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Surber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Surber to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Surber

The surname Surber has its roots in the French language, originating from the northern region of France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French term "sur" meaning "sour" or "acid," and "ber," a word referring to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a sour or acidic stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Surber surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror, which documented landowners and their properties across England. In this record, the name appears as "Surber," indicating its presence in England during the Norman conquest.

During the 13th century, the Surber family was notably present in the region of Normandy, France. Historical records from this period mention a Guillaume Surber, born in 1245, who served as a knight in the service of the French king.

In the 16th century, the name Surber appeared in various spellings, such as "Sourber," "Sourbert," and "Surberts," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable individual from this era was Jean Surber, born in 1532, who was a renowned architect and contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Paris.

As the centuries progressed, the Surber name spread across Europe, with families bearing this surname found in regions like Germany and Switzerland. In the 18th century, Jakob Surber, born in 1715 in Basel, Switzerland, gained recognition as a skilled watchmaker and contributed to the development of precise timekeeping mechanisms.

Another prominent figure with the Surber surname was Charles Surber, born in 1789 in Alsace, France. He was a renowned botanist and naturalist who conducted extensive research on plant species found in the Alsace region and published several influential works on the subject.

Moving into the 19th century, the Surber name found its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States. One notable American with this surname was William Surber, born in 1825 in Virginia. He was a renowned Civil War soldier who fought bravely for the Union army and received numerous commendations for his service.

Throughout history, the Surber surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and experiences that have shaped its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Surber

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Surber.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Surber was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Surber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Surber was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Surber, please contact us.

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