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

Agnew, 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 Agnew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Agnew in America

Agnew is the 3602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Agnew surname appeared 9,856 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Agnew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Agnew 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 Agnew

The surname Agnew is of Scottish origin and dates back to the early medieval period in the British Isles. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "an" meaning "the" and "gnìomh" meaning "work" or "deed," thus translating to "the deeds" or "the workman." This suggests that the name may have been originally used as a descriptive surname for an individual who was known for their work or accomplishments.

The name is thought to have originated in the Galloway region of southwestern Scotland, where the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document the Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among those listed is "Patrick de Agnew."

In the 14th century, records show that the Agnew family held lands in Wigtownshire, Scotland. A notable individual from this period was Patrick Agnew, who was appointed as the Sheriff of Wigtownshire in 1426. He is believed to have been instrumental in establishing the Agnew family's power and influence in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Agnew family played a significant role in the turbulent history of the Scottish Borders. Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, born in 1567, was a prominent figure who fought against the English during the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the early 17th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Andrew Agnew, 7th Baronet of Lochnaw, who lived from 1793 to 1849. He was a Scottish politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Wigtownshire from 1835 to 1849. He was also a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery and played a pivotal role in the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

In the 19th century, Sir James Agnew, born in 1805, was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Agnew & Sons publishing company and was known for his support of various educational and charitable causes in Scotland.

Over the centuries, the Agnew surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Agnew Castle in Wigtownshire and the village of Agnew near Stranraer. The name has also spread beyond Scotland to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to North America and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Agnew

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

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 Agnew 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 Agnew 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 Agnew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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