2000
#22,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Agar
An English occupational surname referring to a person who gathered or sold agaric, a type of fungus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,241 Americans carry the last name Agar. That puts it at #24,125 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 276,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Agar surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Agar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 276,192
Census rank
#24,125
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,082 bearers of the surname Agar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24125th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Agar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Agar
The surname "AGAR" is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Yorkshire, England, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "āgār," which referred to a grassy field or meadow. The name was likely used to distinguish individuals who lived or worked in such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conquer. The entry mentions an individual named "Aluric de Agar," suggesting the surname's use during the Norman conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, often with variations in spelling, such as "Ager," "Agher," and "Aiger." These variations reflect the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Agar (c. 1540-1615), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was James Agar (1622-1684), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Galloway in Scotland from 1679 until his death. He was known for his controversial sermons and writings on religious topics.
In the 18th century, the Agar family gained prominence in Ireland, with Welbore Ellis Agar (1735-1805) serving as the Chief Secretary for Ireland and later becoming the 2nd Viscount Clifden.
The name also has connections to the British Empire, with Charles Agar, Earl of Normanton (1809-1887), serving as the Governor-General of Jamaica from 1857 to 1862.
Lastly, the English writer and playwright George Agar Ellis (1797-1833) was a notable figure in literary circles, known for his contributions to the Edinburgh Review and his plays, including "The Pragmatic Boy" and "The First of April."
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the surname "AGAR" throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence in various regions and contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Agar
Among Census respondents with the surname Agar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Agar bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Agar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 888
- Two or more races5.3% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 53
- Black or African American4.1% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Agar
Agar appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,149
+65 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 192 places
2020
#24,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,082
-67 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 1,721 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,212 | 1,084 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,404 | 1,149 | 0.39 | +65 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 192 places |
| 2020 | #24,125 | 1,082 | 0.36 | -67 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 1,721 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Agar surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,404 | #24,125 | -7.7% |
| Count | 1,149 | 1,082 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.36 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Agar bearers went from 1,149 to 1,082 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 1,721 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,404 to #24,125.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Agar
FAQ
Agar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Agar?
Name Census estimates that about 1,241 living Americans carry the surname Agar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 276,192 residents.
How common is Agar?
Agar ranks #24,125 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,082 people with the surname Agar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Agar.
Has Agar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Agar went from 1,149 recorded bearers to 1,082. That is a decrease of 67 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,404 to #24,125.
What does the Census say about the background of Agar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Agar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Agar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (888 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Agar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Agar (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Agar mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who gathered or sold agaric, a type of fungus. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Agar (0.36 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Agar?
Want to know how many people have the last name Agar? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.