2000
#1,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.70
Uncommon Last name
Webber
An occupational surname referring to a weaver of cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,311 Americans carry the last name Webber. That puts it at #1,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,694 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Webber 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 Webber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,694
Census rank
#1,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,561 bearers of the surname Webber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Webber, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Webber
The surname Webber is of English origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "webbere," meaning a weaver of cloth or tapestries. This occupation was highly skilled and respected during the Middle Ages.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest recorded use of the name appears as "Webbere" in Norfolk, England. The name was also documented in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where it was spelled "Webbur."
The Webber surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire in the southwest of England. Many early bearers of the name lived in small villages and towns, working as weavers and contributing to the local textile industry.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Webber surname was John Webber, a merchant from Bristol, who lived in the 14th century. Another notable figure was William Webber, a clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Ripon Cathedral in the late 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Webber family established themselves in various parts of England. Sir John Webber (1551-1619) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Thomas Webber (1573-1635) was a renowned playwright and author who wrote several plays, including "The White Devil" and "The Duchess of Malfi."
In the 18th century, John Webber (1751-1793) was a renowned artist and draughtsman who accompanied Captain James Cook on his third voyage to the Pacific Ocean. His detailed drawings and paintings of the places and people they encountered were highly influential in documenting this historic expedition.
Another notable Webber was Samuel Webber (1759-1826), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand in the late 18th century. His contributions helped expand the knowledge of these regions during the age of exploration.
The Webber surname has been carried by many individuals throughout history, reflecting its long-standing tradition as an occupational name associated with the skilled craft of weaving.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Webber
Among Census respondents with the surname Webber, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Webber 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 Webber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 20,226
- Black or African American11.5% · 2,935
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,028
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 1,015
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 189
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 168
Timeline
Historical Census data for Webber
Webber 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
#1,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,405
+227 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 8.95
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#1,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,561
-844 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 8.55
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,228 | 26,178 | 9.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,335 | 26,405 | 8.95 | +227 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #1,344 | 25,561 | 8.55 | -844 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 9 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 Webber 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 | #1,335 | #1,344 | -0.7% |
| Count | 26,405 | 25,561 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.95 | 8.55 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Webber bearers went from 26,405 to 25,561 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,335 to #1,344.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Webber
FAQ
Webber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Webber?
Name Census estimates that about 29,311 living Americans carry the surname Webber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,694 residents.
How common is Webber?
Webber ranks #1,344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,561 people with the surname Webber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,311), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Webber.
Has Webber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Webber went from 26,405 recorded bearers to 25,561. That is a decrease of 844 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,335 to #1,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Webber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Webber, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) 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 Webber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (20,226 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Webber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (11.5%), 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 Webber (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 Webber mean?
An occupational surname referring to a weaver of cloth. 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 Webber (8.55 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 common is the surname Webber?
You can see how many people have the last name Webber on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.