Not necessarily. Spring Boot simplifies backend development, so it can be learned without any Hibernate knowledge. However,  basic knowledge of object-persistence concepts (like ORMs) will definitely be helpful. So you can either learn them together or pick them up alongside Spring Boot.

It is not either/or! Hibernate is an Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) which simplifies data persistence and Spring Boot is a backend framework for building web applications. And they both work together beautifully! 

Spring Boot is highly popular in the enterprise world. Big names like Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb, PWC rely on Spring Boot's speed and efficiency.

Spring Boot tackles the backend, handling server side logic, database interactions and APIs. It is the engine room of the website.

Absolutely! Java with frameworks like Spring Boot on the backend and Thymeleaf or JSP for templating on the frontend is a powerful combo for full-stack development.

As mentioned earlier, no! You can dive into Spring Boot first. However, grasping the basics of ORMs is helpful, but not mandatory. Hibernate integrates seamlessly for data handling when needed.

Spring Boot is a backend champion. It simplifies server configuration, dependency management, and deployment - helping you build strong and scalable backend applications. 

Yes! Netflix leverages Spring Boot's microservices architecture for the functioning of its high-performance streaming platform.

Millions of websites!There is no such central registry to track exact website usage.  Spring Boot's popularity is soaring due to its developer-friendly features and scalability.