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

Tibbets, 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 Tibbets surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tibbets in America

Tibbets is the 25725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tibbets surname appeared 958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tibbets.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tibbets 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 Tibbets

The surname Tibbets has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Kent. It first emerged in the 13th century and is derived from the Old English personal name "Theobald," which means "bold people." The earliest known spelling of the name was "Tybaud," which later evolved into "Tibbett," "Tibbits," and finally "Tibbets."

The name Tibbets appears in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Tybaud from Norfolk. The Pipe Rolls of 1230 also mention a William Tybaud from Gloucestershire. These early records suggest that the name was relatively widespread across different parts of England during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tibbets can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Tebaldus." This entry refers to a landowner in the county of Kent, indicating that the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century.

Some notable individuals with the surname Tibbets include Sir John Tibbets (1420-1492), a Member of Parliament for Kent during the reign of Henry VI. Another prominent figure was Robert Tibbets (1628-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Ely from 1692 until his death.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tibbets dates back to the 17th century. John Tibbets (1632-1704) was an English settler who arrived in Massachusetts in 1652 and later became a prominent figure in the colony's government, serving as a member of the General Court.

Another notable American with this surname was Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (1915-2007), a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He is best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II.

Finally, it is worth mentioning Sir William Tibbets (1855-1934), a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1930 to 1931. He was also a member of the House of Commons, representing the city of London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tibbets

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

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 Tibbets 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 Tibbets 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 Tibbets was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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