NameCensus.

UK surname

Ibbs

A variant form of the surname Hibbs derived from the medieval personal name Hib or Hib(b).

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Ibbs surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 280, ranked #15,491, down from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trentham, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ibbs is 345 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.7%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

280

2016, ranked #15,491

Peak year

1911

345 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ibbs had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016, ranked #15,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 345 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Ibbs surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ibbs surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ibbs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ibbs over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 202 #10,323
1861 historical 216 #11,273
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 275 #11,847
1901 historical 286 #12,029
1911 historical 345 #10,358
1997 modern 203 #17,457
1998 modern 307 #13,690
1999 modern 317 #13,473
2000 modern 307 #13,717
2001 modern 299 #13,758
2002 modern 307 #13,805
2003 modern 301 #13,785
2004 modern 307 #13,685
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 301 #13,886
2007 modern 303 #13,965
2008 modern 311 #13,800
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 319 #14,110
2011 modern 311 #14,260
2012 modern 295 #14,670
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 294 #15,047
2015 modern 290 #15,117
2016 modern 280 #15,491

Geography

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Where Ibbs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trentham, London parishes, Gateshead, Chebsey and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Trentham Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Chebsey Staffordshire
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 026 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 008 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Stoke-on-Trent 032 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ibbs

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ibbs surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ibbs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ibbs, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Ibbs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ibbs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Ibbs is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ibbs is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ibbs falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ibbs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ibbs, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ibbs

The surname IBBS has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late 12th century as a locational name. It is derived from the Old English word "ibb," which means a ridge or a hill. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be Ibbes, found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195.

IBBS is thought to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it was often associated with specific place names such as Ibstone or Ibberton. In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with similar names, including Ibbeslei and Ibbetune, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Ibbes, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202. Another early example is John Ibb, whose name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

In the 14th century, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as Ibbe, Ibbes, and Ybbes, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling practices at the time. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Ibbe, who was mentioned in the Calendars of Wills and Administrations for the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in 1370.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable bearer was Sir John Ibbs (1551-1628), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Aylesbury in 1597 and 1601.

Other individuals with the IBBS surname include John Ibbs (1670-1737), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Monxton in Hampshire, and William Ibbs (1737-1811), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the IBBS surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire. One notable figure from this period was James Ibbs (1803-1876), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ibbs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ibbs surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 119 Ibbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.82x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 119 12.82x
Middlesex 30 1.09x
Lancashire 19 0.58x
Surrey 19 1.42x
Huntingdonshire 15 27.46x
Shropshire 13 5.47x
Bedfordshire 12 8.43x
Essex 12 2.21x
Yorkshire 12 0.44x
Durham 9 1.10x
Warwickshire 6 0.86x
Northamptonshire 5 1.93x
Sussex 5 1.08x
Cheshire 2 0.33x
Pembrokeshire 2 2.29x
Hertfordshire 1 0.53x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 56 Ibbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.88x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 56 56.88x
Kimbolton 15 1304.35x
Trentham 15 189.87x
Stone 13 109.43x
Stafford St Mary 11 83.71x
Bermondsey 10 12.21x
Chebsey 10 2127.66x
Liverpool 10 5.04x
Hackney London 9 5.84x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 22.57x
Caverswall 7 144.93x
Chingford 7 534.35x
Holy Trinity 6 9.15x
Southill 6 521.74x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 6 952.38x
Limehouse London 5 16.56x
Littlehampton 5 135.14x
Maldon All Sts 5 462.96x
Manchester 5 3.41x
Thrapston 5 384.62x
Aston 4 2.09x
Grinshill 4 1250.00x
St Botolph Aldersgate 4 126.98x
Bedford St John 3 1428.57x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.51x
Clerkenwell London 3 4.62x
Eccleshall 3 85.23x
Hornsey 3 8.62x
Keighley 3 10.33x
Lambeth 3 1.25x
Leeds 3 1.95x
Newington 3 2.95x
Smallthorne 3 86.96x
Bedford St Peter 2 54.05x
Everton 2 1.92x
Penally 2 344.83x
Shawbury 2 219.78x
Windle 2 10.89x
Birmingham 1 0.43x
Burslem 1 3.76x
Cople 1 232.56x
Coundon 1 30.12x
Higher Bebington 1 25.71x
Nantwich 1 14.16x
Newport 1 34.84x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.04x
Old Stratford 1 25.45x
Richmond 1 5.32x
Seale 1 116.28x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 8.40x
St Bartholomew Great 1 40.00x
St George Martyr London 1 17.95x
Wandsworth 1 3.78x
Willian 1 357.14x

FAQ

Ibbs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ibbs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Ibbs surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ibbs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016. That gives Ibbs a modern rank of #15,491.

What does the Ibbs surname mean?

A variant form of the surname Hibbs derived from the medieval personal name Hib or Hib(b).

What does the Ibbs map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ibbs bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.