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

Webb, 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 Webb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Webb in America

Webb is the 152nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Webb surname appeared 168,878 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 57 people would have the surname Webb.

We can also compare 2010 data for Webb 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 Webb

The surname Webb originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "webbere," which means a weaver or a maker of cloth. The name was initially an occupational surname, given to those who worked as weavers or in the textile industry.

Webb is a variant spelling of the name Webber, which was more common in earlier times. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Willelmus Webbere." This suggests that the name was already in use by the mid-12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions "William le Webbere." The "le" prefix was commonly used at the time to indicate a person's occupation or trade.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Webb. However, it does mention individuals with the occupation of "webbere" or "textor," which means weaver in Latin.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Webb was John Webb (c. 1580-1628), an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Wilton House in Wiltshire and the Greenwich Palace for Queen Anne of Denmark.

Another notable figure was Samuel Webb (1662-1718), an English clergyman and author who served as the chaplain to the Duke of Marlborough during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 18th century, Daniel Webb (1719-1798) was an English mathematician and scientist who made significant contributions to the study of optics and the theory of halos.

The 19th century saw the rise of Alexander Stewart Webb (1835-1911), a prominent American soldier and military theorist who fought in the American Civil War and later served as the President of the College of the City of New York.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Webb was Beatrice Webb (1858-1943), an English sociologist, economist, and reformist who co-founded the London School of Economics and Political Science with her husband, Sidney Webb.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Webb

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

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

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

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