The Sibley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,467 people carried this name — #3,742 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 31,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 9,285 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sibley surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Sybil’.

An early record he cites: Geoffrey Sibilie, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 689 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

68 families named Sibley, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 405 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Sibley, Cibley, Sibly. 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

Massachusetts 44
Connecticut 6
New Hampshire 4
Virginia 4
North Carolina 4
New York 2
Pennsylvania 2
Maine 1
Maryland 1

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. 262 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sibley in American newspapers,
1900.

Newspaper page from Cameron County Press carrying the name Sibley
Cameron County Press 1900-09-27
Newspaper page from Cameron County Press carrying the name Sibley
Cameron County Press 1900-08-30
Newspaper page from Cameron County Press carrying the name Sibley
Cameron County Press 1900-10-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 233,346 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sibley in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

14,592 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sibley. The most, 2,554, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 3,526
South Australia 3,409
New South Wales 2,541
Tasmania 2,224
Western Australia 1,555
Queensland 1,238
ACT (Canberra) 66
Northern Territory 9

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

Who carried it

People named Sibley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Solomon Sibley
    Solomon Sibley 1769–1846 · judge
  • Mark H. Sibley
    Mark H. Sibley 1796–1852 · judge
  • Ebenezer S Sibley d. 1884
  • Charles Henry Sibley d. 1854
  • Reginald William Sibley d. 1945
  • John Sibley 1685–1715 · gunsmith

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 Sibley,
in the records of 5 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 States729 records

729 records of the Sibley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 335
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 123
  • Other U.S. records 271
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ray L. Sibley

    Born 1900 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1942 at San Francisco, California; mason. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1965, 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)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John A. Sibley

    Born 1933; from St Lawrence County, New York. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Susan Sibley

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the Middlesex from Liverpool, aged 18; housekeeper. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 729 records for Sibley 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) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia389 records

389 records of the Sibley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 123
  • Tasmanian Names Index 121
  • Other Australian records 145
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Sibley

    Died 1871 in Hamilton, Tasmania, aged 70. Will registered in Tasmania in 1871.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Isabel Ada Sibley

    Born 1873 in Hamilton, Tasmania. Married 1897 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 24.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Coralie Myra Sibley

    Born 1897 in Hamilton, Tasmania. Died 1936 in Tasmania, aged 38.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 389 records for Sibley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada298 records

298 records of the Sibley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 264
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 14
  • Other Canadian records 20
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas Sibley

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Texas, bound for Seaforth, 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 Doris Clair Sibley

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 93.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ernest Edward Sibley

    Died 1956 in Middle Musquodoboit, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 298 records for Sibley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand30 records

30 records of the Sibley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 28
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lester Reginald Sibley

    Died 1998, aged 75; 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 Merwin Ann Sibley

    Buried in 1934 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alfred Ernest Sibley

    Died 1938, aged 64; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Sibley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel 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 Kingdom26 records

26 records of the Sibley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 22
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Louisa Sibley

    Buried in 1840 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 40.

    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 J. Sibley

    Middlesex 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 William Sibley

    Buried in 1836 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 48.

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

Showing 3 of 26 records for Sibley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sibley.

When the index is not enough

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