2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thibaud
A French surname derived from the Medieval given name Theobald or Thibault.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Thibaud. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thibaud 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Thibaud in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thibaud, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.9%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thibaud
The surname Thibaud originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name Theobald, which itself comes from the Germanic name Theodbald, meaning "bold people." The Thibaud name is believed to have first appeared in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Thibaud name can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the surname Thibaud or variations of it, such as Thibault or Thiebaut, indicating their presence in parts of England following the Norman conquest.
During the 12th century, a notable figure named Thibaud de Champagne (1201-1253) was the Count of Champagne and King of Navarre. He played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade and the Seventh Crusade. Another prominent individual was Thibaud de Marly (c. 1190-1247), a French trouvère and composer who served at the court of Champagne.
In the 13th century, Thibaud de Meung (c. 1235-1305) was a French poet and scholar who co-authored the renowned medieval work "Roman de la Rose." Around the same time, Thibaud de Blaison (c. 1260-1321) was a French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Moving into the 14th century, Thibaud de Nougaret (c. 1290-1368) was a French jurist and adviser to King Philip IV. He played a crucial role in the suppression of the Knights Templar. Another notable figure was Thibaud de Vaux (c. 1315-1380), a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was known for his military exploits.
Throughout history, the Thibaud name has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Thibaudière, Thibaudeau, and Thibodeaux, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thibaud
Among Census respondents with the surname Thibaud, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.9%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Thibaud 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 Thibaud surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.9% · 53
- Black or African American44.9% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thibaud
Thibaud 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,836 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 Thibaud 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 | #148,347 | #143,511 | 3.3% |
| Count | 111 | 118 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thibaud bearers went from 111 to 118 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #143,511.
FAQ
Thibaud surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thibaud?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Thibaud. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Thibaud?
Thibaud ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Thibaud. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Thibaud.
Has Thibaud become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thibaud went from 111 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Thibaud?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thibaud, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.9%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Thibaud in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.9% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thibaud appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (44.9%), Black (44.9%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Thibaud (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 Thibaud mean?
A French surname derived from the Medieval given name Theobald or Thibault. 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 Thibaud (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 Thibaud?
See how common the surname Thibaud is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.