2000
#44,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 451
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Gibas
A Latvian surname derived from the Latvian word "giba" meaning a twist or bend.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 577 Americans carry the last name Gibas. That puts it at #45,763 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 594,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gibas 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
577
1 in 594,028
Census rank
#45,763
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
503
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 503 bearers of the surname Gibas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45763rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gibas
The surname GIBAS is of Lithuanian origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the Baltic region. It is believed to have derived from the Lithuanian word "giba," which means "bend" or "curve," possibly referring to a geographic feature or occupation related to bending or shaping materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GIBAS surname can be found in the historical records of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a powerful medieval state that encompassed parts of modern-day Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland. The name appears in a document from the late 16th century, where a certain Jurgis GIBAS is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Samogitia (now western Lithuania).
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the GIBAS surname gained prominence among the Lithuanian nobility and gentry. Several members of the GIBAS family held positions of authority within the Grand Duchy and later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notable individuals include Mykolas GIBAS (1620-1693), a military commander who fought against Swedish and Russian forces during the Northern Wars, and Kristupas GIBAS (1745-1811), a renowned poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Lithuanian literature.
As the Lithuanian population spread across Europe and beyond, the GIBAS surname began to appear in various regions. In the 19th century, records show GIBAS families residing in the Russian Empire, particularly in the territories of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine. One notable figure from this period was Juozas GIBAS (1834-1908), a prominent linguist and scholar who published several works on Lithuanian language and folklore.
The 20th century saw the GIBAS surname scattered across different parts of the world due to emigration and diaspora movements. Jonas GIBAS (1892-1976), a prominent Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor, was born in Lithuania but later settled in the United States, where he gained recognition for his artistic contributions. Antanas GIBAS (1916-2001), a Lithuanian-Australian writer and poet, played a significant role in preserving Lithuanian cultural heritage in Australia after fleeing his homeland during World War II.
Throughout its history, the GIBAS surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, craftsmanship, academia, and the military. While the name's origins can be traced back to Lithuania, it has since become a part of the cultural fabric in numerous countries, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of those who have carried this surname across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gibas
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gibas 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 Gibas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 445
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 19
- Black or African American3.6% · 18
- Two or more races2.2% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gibas
Gibas 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
#45,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 474
+23 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 368 places
2020
#45,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 503
+29 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,821 | 451 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,189 | 474 | 0.16 | +23 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 368 places |
| 2020 | #45,763 | 503 | 0.17 | +29 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 574 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 Gibas 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 | #45,189 | #45,763 | -1.3% |
| Count | 474 | 503 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gibas bearers went from 474 to 503 (+6.1% change). The surname moved down 574 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,189 to #45,763.
FAQ
Gibas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gibas?
Name Census estimates that about 577 living Americans carry the surname Gibas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 594,028 residents.
How common is Gibas?
Gibas ranks #45,763 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 503 people with the surname Gibas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (577), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gibas.
Has Gibas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gibas went from 474 recorded bearers to 503. That is an increase of 29 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,189 to #45,763.
What does the Census say about the background of Gibas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gibas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Gibas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (445 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gibas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%), Black (3.6%). 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 Gibas (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 Gibas mean?
A Latvian surname derived from the Latvian word "giba" meaning a twist or bend. 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 Gibas (0.17 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 Americans have the surname Gibas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.