Hibbs
A surname most likely from a pet form of Hubert, with related forms like Hibbert and Hibson.
The #6,134 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,281 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hibbs is generally treated as an English patronymic surname built from a short form of the personal name Hubert. In older sources, Hubert could be reduced to Hib, Hibb, or a similar nickname, and surnames such as Hibbert, Hibson, and Hibbs arose from that base. Some 19th-century writers also connected it more loosely with a wider cluster of ancient short names in Ab-, Eb-, Heb-, and Ib- forms, but the Hubert explanation is the clearest and most directly supported.
History
The surname is documented in England by the 15th century in forms such as Hibson, and later appears as Hibbs in parish and civil records. It remained a relatively uncommon English surname, with spelling variation reflecting local pronunciation and the lack of fixed spelling in earlier centuries. Modern bearers are found especially in English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname writers often grouped Hibbs with a whole family of similar short forms—Abbs, Ebbs, Hebb, and Ibbs—showing how closely related nicknames could generate several surnames.
From the historical record
“(a) Bapt 'the son of Hubert/ popularly Hibbert, whence the nick. Hibh, and patr. Hibbs or Hibson. John Hibson, co. York, 1442. W. 11. Richard Hebson, co. York, 1442. ibid.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)