2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tibbels
A variant spelling of the English surname 'Tebbells', indicating someone from Tebbutts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Tibbels. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tibbels 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Tibbels in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tibbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tibbels
The surname Tibbels is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the medieval English given name Tibb, which was a diminutive form of the name Theobald. The name Theobald itself is derived from the Germanic elements "thio" (meaning people) and "bald" (meaning bold or brave).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tibbels can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1273, where a certain John Tibbels is mentioned. During this time, the surname was also spelled as Tibels, Tibbeles, and Tybbels, reflecting the variations in spelling common in medieval times.
In the 14th century, the surname Tibbels appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where it was recorded as Tybeles. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time.
The Domesday Book, a monumental survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Tibbels. However, it does mention the village of Tibshelf in Derbyshire, which may be related to the name's origin and early geographic association.
One notable individual bearing the surname Tibbels was William Tibbels, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 16th century. He was involved in trade with the Americas and is mentioned in historical records from that era.
Another prominent figure was Sir John Tibbels, an English soldier who served during the English Civil War in the 17th century. He fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, a wealthy landowner named Thomas Tibbels owned a large estate in Gloucestershire. Records from that time indicate that he was a prominent figure in local affairs and held significant influence in the region.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Tibbels, an accomplished writer and poet who lived in the early 19th century. Her works were published in various literary journals of that era, and she was celebrated for her insightful and evocative prose.
Lastly, a famous bearer of the surname was James Tibbels, born in 1842, who was a renowned explorer and naturalist. He undertook several expeditions to remote regions of Africa and made significant contributions to the field of natural history through his discoveries and writings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tibbels
Among Census respondents with the surname Tibbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tibbels 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 Tibbels surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tibbels
Tibbels 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+6 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,429 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,740 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 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 3,429 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 9,740 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 Tibbels 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 | #133,048 | #142,788 | -7.3% |
| Count | 127 | 119 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tibbels bearers went from 127 to 119 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 9,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #142,788.
FAQ
Tibbels surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tibbels?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Tibbels. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Tibbels?
Tibbels ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Tibbels. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Tibbels.
Has Tibbels become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tibbels went from 127 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Tibbels?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tibbels, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Tibbels in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tibbels appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (8.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Tibbels (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 Tibbels mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname 'Tebbells', indicating someone from Tebbutts. 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 Tibbels (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 Tibbels?
You can see how common the surname Tibbels is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.