McKibben
An Irish and Scottish surname likely meaning “son of Gibben,” with Gibben itself a pet form of Gilbert or a similar personal name.
The #6,801 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,272 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKibben is a surname built on the Gaelic patronymic prefix Mc/Mac, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name in the form Gibben. That base name is usually taken as a diminutive or pet form related to Gilbert, though older surname traditions sometimes leave such short forms a little uncertain. In plain terms, the name probably began as “son of Gibben.”
History
The name is found in Irish and Scottish surname tradition, especially in Ulster and among families of Gaelic origin. In modern English spelling it often appears as McKibben, though related spellings can vary depending on local pronunciation and record-keeping. The surname is now established in North America as well, carried by descendants of Irish and Scottish emigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Mc- surnames were often anglicized in several different ways, McKibben has close spelling cousins that can belong to the same wider family line.
From the historical record
“McKeen, McKeeyer, McKeil, McKendry ; McKen- NA, McKenney, and McKinney ; McKenzie, Mc- Keon, McKernan, McKey and McKie, McKibben, McKiERNAN, McKim, McKinlay and McKinley, McKinnon, McKinsley, McKirdy, McKissock, Mc- Knight, McKoen, McKown, McLane and McLean, McLanigan, McLaren, McLarty, McLaughlin and McLouGHLiN…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)