The Combs surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 54,257 people carried this name — #624 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,440 people counted. That is up 2% from 53,180 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Combs surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the comb’.

An early record he cites: Gilbert ate Cumbe, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Combe, Combes and Combs.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 197 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

102 families named Combs, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 557 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Virginia 23
New York 20
Maryland 13
Pennsylvania 11
Connecticut 10
Massachusetts 6
North Carolina 6
New Hampshire 5
Maine 4
Vermont 2
South Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 234 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Combs in American newspapers,
1928.

Newspaper page from The Kevin Review carrying the name Combs
The Kevin Review 1928-12-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Combs in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

1,871 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Combs. The most, 344, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 506
New South Wales 433
Victoria 424
Queensland 228
South Australia 158
Tasmania 97
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Combs.

Who carried it

People named Combs,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas A. Combs
    Thomas A. Combs 1868–1935 · politician
  • Harry Ernest Combs
    Harry Ernest Combs 1881–1954 · politician
  • Christina Combs d. 2025
  • 'General' Elijah Combs 1770–1855 · politician
  • Leslie Combs 1793–1881 · lawyer
  • Josiah Henry Combs 1832–1894 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Combs,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,095 records

3,095 records of the Combs name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,784
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 685
  • Other U.S. records 626
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Alfred Henry Combs

    Born 1931; from Seaside, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1965 in South Vietnam. Buried at Raleigh National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Chester W. Combs

    Born 1922 in California. Enlisted 1943 at San Francisco; pattern maker from San Francisco County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1984, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lissie Combs

    Arrived at New York in 1874 aboard the Republic from Liverpool, aged 21; servant. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,095 records for Combs in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia79 records

79 records of the Combs name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 50
  • Tasmanian Names Index 15
  • Other Australian records 14
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Margaret Combs

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sir Robert Seppings, sailing from Woolwich in 1852. Native of Edinburgh, Midlothian. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Combs

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Oliver Lang, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary Combs

    Former farmer of Birchip, Victoria; died 1957.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 79 records for Combs in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada19 records

19 records of the Combs name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 12
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jno Combs

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Caspian, landing at Quebec, bound for Guelph, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Phylis Combs

    Buried in 1991 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Raymond William Combs

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 19 records for Combs in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Combs name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Violet Combs

    Died 1984, aged 81; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Combs

    Died 1958; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Combs

    Died 1904, aged 65; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Combs name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Combs

    Buried in 1853 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 45.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. Combs

    Welsh Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Combs

    Buried in 1846 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 20.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Combs name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Preston Craig Combs

    Born 1928 in the United States; died 1990 in Saint-Martin (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Combs.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Combs is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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