2000
#5,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.26
Rare Last name
Tribble
An English occupational surname derived from a maker or seller of a type of sieve known as a tribble.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,652 Americans carry the last name Tribble. That puts it at #5,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,527 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tribble 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tribble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,527
Census rank
#5,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,801 bearers of the surname Tribble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tribble
The surname Tribble originated in England, likely in the northern regions of the country, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "trybbel," which means "a small enclosure or dwelling." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a modest or humble abode.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tribble dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273. This historical record documented the names of landowners and tenants across various counties in England.
In the 14th century, the Tribble name was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, which were tax records compiled by the English government. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname were present in Yorkshire during that time period.
The Tribble surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Tribble's Green in Hertfordshire and Tribble's Farm in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been named after individuals with the Tribble surname, or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographical areas.
One notable figure in history with the surname Tribble was John Tribble, a British soldier who fought in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He was born in 1792 and served in the 42nd Regiment of Foot, also known as the Black Watch.
Another individual of historical significance was William Tribble, an English clergyman born in 1688 who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire. He was known for his contributions to the local community and his work in the Church of England.
In the 19th century, Charles Tribble (1822-1897) was a prominent architect based in London. He designed several notable buildings, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the former Holborn Town Hall.
The Tribble surname also has connections to the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Thomas Tribble, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He was among the first settlers in the colony and helped establish a community in the region.
Lastly, Robert Tribble (1916-2001) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the Tribble & Stephens Company, a successful construction firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. He was known for his charitable contributions to various educational institutions and organizations throughout his life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tribble
Among Census respondents with the surname Tribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tribble 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 Tribble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.1% · 3,663
- Black or African American28.3% · 1,643
- Two or more races4.0% · 232
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tribble
Tribble 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
#5,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,220
+115 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 338 places
2020
#5,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,801
-419 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 166 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,253 | 6,105 | 2.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,591 | 6,220 | 2.11 | +115 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 338 places |
| 2020 | #5,757 | 5,801 | 1.94 | -419 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 166 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 Tribble 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 | #5,591 | #5,757 | -3.0% |
| Count | 6,220 | 5,801 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 1.94 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tribble bearers went from 6,220 to 5,801 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 166 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,591 to #5,757.
FAQ
Tribble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tribble?
Name Census estimates that about 6,652 living Americans carry the surname Tribble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,527 residents.
How common is Tribble?
Tribble ranks #5,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,801 people with the surname Tribble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tribble.
Has Tribble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tribble went from 6,220 recorded bearers to 5,801. That is a decrease of 419 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,591 to #5,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Tribble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Tribble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (3,663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tribble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.1%), Black (28.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Tribble (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 Tribble mean?
An English occupational surname derived from a maker or seller of a type of sieve known as a tribble. 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 Tribble (1.94 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 surname Tribble?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.