If you grew up in Maine, chances are you know someone with the surname ‘Libby.’ Maybe you even know multiple people with this last name all claiming to be unrelated to each other. Perhaps you also know a few businesses and other locations in Maine that incorporate Libby into their brand name. Most Maine residents do not pay attention to the surname, typically thinking it is yet another frequent last name in the United States similar to names we’ve all heard like Smith, Jackson, Brown, etc. However, what makes the surname Libby unique is the commonality to the state of Maine specifically—here’s how it ended up this way.

According to the genealogy website Forebears, Libby ranks as the 33,048th most common surname in the world with the highest prevalence located in the United States. Nationally, 1 in 25k people have the surname Libby, making it a fairly uncommon surname to have. When viewing the diaspora of the surname across the states, Maine by far has the most Libbys in the whole country with 3,119 people. It ranks as the 14th most common surname in the state. As for other states, Libby doesn’t even make the top 100.

To put Maine’s concentration of Libbys into perspective, Maine has 2,020 more Libbys than the state of California, ranking second in national prevalence despite California having an overall population greater than Canada. For Libby to be so concentrated in one particular U.S. state is a rarity—so where did it originally come from?

According to information provided to The Beacon by Maine Historical Society, the surname Libby originated in Cornwall, England, the most western English county. This makes the surname originally a product of Cornish culture. With the surname being brought over from England, one is left with the question of who was the first Libby in Maine?

To answer this question, The Beacon spoke with Aaron Libby, owner of Libby & Sons U Picks to discuss the origins of the Libby surname in Maine: “In short, John E. Libby is credited with bringing the Libby name from England. He sailed on the ship Hercules in 1635 and settled in Scarborough. All present day Libby’s are believed to be descendants of John E. Libby.” stated Aaron, truly showing how far back in Maine’s history the surname has existed. “There is a family association and they have printed a 3-4 volume book of all the genealogy and history. They host a large reunion, held in Scarborough each summer.”

The Libby surname is deeply a part of Maine’s history. With the surname dating back to 1635, it is amazing how it has remained so common in the state. The Libby families have had a rich history in Maine ever since John E. Libby settled in Scarborough, with an annual family reunion still held in the same town to remember and celebrate their legacy—the next time you come across the surname Libby, you are encountering a piece of Maine’s history.