2000
#13,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Wible
Derived from a place name meaning "weaver's pool" in Old English, likely referring to a textile worker's dwelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,196 Americans carry the last name Wible. That puts it at #14,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,081 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wible 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
2.2K
1 in 156,081
Census rank
#14,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,915 bearers of the surname Wible in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wible, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wible
The surname WIBLE originated in Germany during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "wibel", meaning a person who lives near a willow tree. The name was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
In the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a manuscript dating back to 1181, there is a reference to a "Heinricus Wibele" from the village of Weissenburg. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the WIBLE name.
During the 14th century, the name began to spread across other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. Variations in spelling, such as "Wibbel", "Wybbel", and "Wibble", were common due to the lack of standardized orthography at the time.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Johannes WIBLE (1462-1538) was a prominent scholar and theologian at the University of Heidelberg. He authored several treatises on religious philosophy and was highly regarded in academic circles.
Another individual of note was Hans WIBLE (1543-1611), a renowned master woodcarver from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. His intricate works adorned many churches and public buildings in the region, and his legacy has been preserved in several museums.
The WIBLE name also appeared in the Danzig Denkmäler, a historical record of the city of Gdańsk (formerly Danzig), where a merchant named Jakob WIBLE (1602-1673) was documented as having traded in Baltic amber and spices.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Michael WIBLE (1712-1788), a renowned clockmaker from the Black Forest region of Germany. His exquisitely crafted timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons across Europe.
Another individual of note was Anna Maria WIBLE (1768-1846), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in the city of Mannheim. She established one of the first schools for girls in the region and was widely respected for her progressive views.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals who bore the WIBLE surname throughout history, showcasing its deep roots and significance in German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wible
Among Census respondents with the surname Wible, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wible 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 Wible surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,750
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 79
- Two or more races2.9% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wible
Wible 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
#14,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,027
-39 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,173 places
2020
#14,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,915
-112 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,496 | 2,066 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,669 | 2,027 | 0.69 | -39 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,173 places |
| 2020 | #14,854 | 1,915 | 0.64 | -112 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 185 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 Wible 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 | #14,669 | #14,854 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,027 | 1,915 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.64 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wible bearers went from 2,027 to 1,915 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,669 to #14,854.
FAQ
Wible surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wible?
Name Census estimates that about 2,196 living Americans carry the surname Wible. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,081 residents.
How common is Wible?
Wible ranks #14,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,915 people with the surname Wible. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wible.
Has Wible become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wible went from 2,027 recorded bearers to 1,915. That is a decrease of 112 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,669 to #14,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Wible?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wible, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Wible in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wible appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Wible (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 Wible mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "weaver's pool" in Old English, likely referring to a textile worker's dwelling. 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 Wible (0.64 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 Wible?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Wible on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.