Find out how popular the last name Agent is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Agent.

Agent, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Agent surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Agent in America

Agent is the 33941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Agent surname appeared 670 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Agent.

We can also compare 2010 data for Agent to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Agent

The surname Agent is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "agent," which meant "agent" or "representative." This term was often used to refer to someone who acted on behalf of another person or organization.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Agent can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. In this document, the name is spelled "Agente."

During the 12th century, the name Agent began to appear in various records and manuscripts throughout France and England. In 1182, a man named Raoul Agent was mentioned in a legal document from the town of Rouen, France. Similarly, in 1215, a Thomas Agent was listed as a landowner in the Yorkshire region of England.

Over the centuries, the name Agent has undergone several variations in spelling, including "Agente," "Ajent," and "Agen." These spelling variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers.

One notable figure with the surname Agent was Jean Agent, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 15th century (born around 1460, died circa 1520). He was a prominent scholar at the University of Paris and authored several works on logic and metaphysics.

Another individual of note was Sir William Agent, an English landowner and politician who lived during the 16th century (born around 1525, died 1593). He served as a member of parliament and was involved in various legal disputes over property rights.

In the 17th century, a family named Agent resided in the village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England. One member of this family, Edward Agent (born 1612, died 1688), was a successful merchant and landowner who served as a local magistrate.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Agent (born 1732, died 1807), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the American Revolutionary War. He achieved the rank of captain and was known for his bravery and leadership in several major battles.

Finally, in the 19th century, the name Agent was associated with Mary Agent (born 1820, died 1893), a pioneering educator and social reformer in the United States. She founded several schools and advocated for the rights of women and children.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Agent

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Agent.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Agent was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Agent has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Agent was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Agent, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!