2000
#3,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,644
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.58
Uncommon Last name
Agnew
A Scottish and Northern Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "new" or "yew tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,017 Americans carry the last name Agnew. That puts it at #3,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,111 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Agnew 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 Agnew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,111
Census rank
#3,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,607 bearers of the surname Agnew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Agnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Agnew
Among Census respondents with the surname Agnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Agnew 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 Agnew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.6% · 6,302
- Black or African American26.0% · 2,499
- Two or more races4.1% · 390
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 311
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Agnew
Agnew 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
#3,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,856
+212 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.34
Rank movement Down 204 places
2020
#3,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,607
-249 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,398 | 9,644 | 3.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,602 | 9,856 | 3.34 | +212 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 204 places |
| 2020 | #3,612 | 9,607 | 3.21 | -249 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 10 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 Agnew 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 | #3,602 | #3,612 | -0.3% |
| Count | 9,856 | 9,607 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.34 | 3.21 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Agnew bearers went from 9,856 to 9,607 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,602 to #3,612.
FAQ
Agnew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Agnew?
Name Census estimates that about 11,017 living Americans carry the surname Agnew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,111 residents.
How common is Agnew?
Agnew ranks #3,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,607 people with the surname Agnew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,017), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Agnew.
Has Agnew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Agnew went from 9,856 recorded bearers to 9,607. That is a decrease of 249 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,602 to #3,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Agnew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Agnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Agnew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.6% (6,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Agnew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.6%), Black (26.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Agnew (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 Agnew mean?
A Scottish and Northern Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "new" or "yew tree." 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 Agnew (3.21 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 have the surname Agnew?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.