Humble
Usually a locational surname, probably from West Humble in Surrey, rather than a direct reference to modest character.
The #7,264 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,294 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a place-name surname from West Humble in Surrey, with the surname meaning in effect “of Humble.” The place-name itself is older than the family name, and later surname use may have made it look like the adjective humble, even though that is not necessarily its source. Some older writers also noted that it could be mistaken for a moral nickname, but they preferred the local-place explanation.
History
19th-century surname writers such as Bardsley and Lower treated Humble as a local surname tied to West Humble, and that explanation has remained the standard one in English onomastics. The surname is not especially common, and modern bearers are mostly found in England and the United States. Because the form matches a familiar adjective, it has sometimes been interpreted as a nickname surname, but the locational origin is usually judged more likely.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers specifically remarked that Humble looks like a character trait, but may actually come from a tiny Surrey place-name.
From the historical record
“MEEHAN, V. Mac Meehan. MEEK j Mild, Humble [M.E. meke, meoc, MEEKES O.N. »;j«A-r, soft, meek] Robert le Meke.— Ca/, Inq. P.M.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)