2000
#1,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,722
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.54
Uncommon Last name
Corbett
An Irish surname derived from the French corbeau, meaning "raven," likely referring to a person with dark hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,845 Americans carry the last name Corbett. That puts it at #1,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,883 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corbett 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 Corbett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,883
Census rank
#1,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,154 bearers of the surname Corbett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corbett
The surname Corbett is of Norman-French origin, derived from the Old French word "corbeau" meaning "raven" or "crow". It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with dark hair or complexion, likening them to the appearance of a raven.
The name first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families settled in various parts of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Corbett" in Shropshire.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Robert Corbett (c. 1150-1220) was a wealthy landowner and Lord of Caus Castle in Shropshire. He played a significant role in the Baron's War against King John and was later appointed as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was Roger Corbett (c. 1250-1321), who served as a member of Parliament for Shropshire in the reign of King Edward I. He was also a distinguished military commander and participated in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
During the 13th century, the Corbett family established themselves as landed gentry in Shropshire, with their ancestral seat at Caus Castle. The name is also associated with various place names in the region, such as Corbett's Dingle and Corbett's Wood.
In the 16th century, Sir Andrew Corbett (c. 1520-1578) was a prominent figure in Worcestershire. He served as High Sheriff of Worcestershire and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1568 for his services to the Crown.
Later, in the 17th century, John Corbett (1599-1662) was an English Puritan clergyman and one of the Westminster Divines. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of Oliver Cromwell.
Throughout history, the surname Corbett has been associated with various professions and achievements, including politics, military service, law, and religion. While its roots can be traced back to Norman-French origins, the name has become well-established in England and other parts of the world over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corbett
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Corbett 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 Corbett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 19,666
- Black or African American13.9% · 3,506
- Two or more races3.5% · 887
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 817
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 115
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corbett
Corbett 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
#1,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,246
+524 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 8.90
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,154
-1,092 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 8.42
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,252 | 25,722 | 9.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,346 | 26,246 | 8.90 | +524 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,385 | 25,154 | 8.42 | -1,092 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 39 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 Corbett 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 | #1,346 | #1,385 | -2.9% |
| Count | 26,246 | 25,154 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 8.90 | 8.42 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corbett bearers went from 26,246 to 25,154 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,346 to #1,385.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Corbett
FAQ
Corbett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corbett?
Name Census estimates that about 28,845 living Americans carry the surname Corbett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,883 residents.
How common is Corbett?
Corbett ranks #1,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,154 people with the surname Corbett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Corbett.
Has Corbett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corbett went from 26,246 recorded bearers to 25,154. That is a decrease of 1,092 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,346 to #1,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Corbett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbett, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Corbett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (19,666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corbett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (13.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Corbett (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 Corbett mean?
An Irish surname derived from the French corbeau, meaning "raven," likely referring to a person with dark hair. 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 Corbett (8.42 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 last name Corbett?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Corbett at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.