2000
#7,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,995
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Angus
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Aonghas," meaning "one choice" or "one strength."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,839 Americans carry the last name Angus. That puts it at #7,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,832 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Angus 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 Angus with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 70,832
Census rank
#7,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,220 bearers of the surname Angus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Angus, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Angus
The surname Angus originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "Aonghus," which means "one strength" or "one choice." The name is believed to have roots in the ancient Celtic culture and was likely a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Angus can be found in various Scottish historical records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296. In these rolls, individuals were required to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. Several people with the surname Angus or similar spellings, such as Anguish and Angoushe, are listed.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Angus Og of Islay, a powerful Scottish chief who lived in the 13th century. He was a member of the Clan Donald and played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England.
Another notable individual with the surname Angus was Sir Patrick Angus of Brechin, who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent Scottish nobleman and served as a diplomat and ambassador for King Robert III of Scotland.
In the 16th century, the name Angus was associated with several prominent figures, including Archibald Angus, a Scottish Protestant reformer and minister who lived from 1510 to 1573. He was a notable figure in the Scottish Reformation and played a role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Angus was Reverend Angus McIntosh, a Scottish minister and scholar who lived from 1689 to 1757. He was known for his work in preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture, and he published several works on Gaelic grammar and literature.
In the 19th century, the surname Angus was borne by individuals such as Sir William Angus, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1815 to 1891. He was a successful merchant and banker, and he made significant contributions to educational institutions and charitable organizations in Scotland.
The surname Angus is also associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Angus County (now known as Angus), which is a historic county in eastern Scotland. The county was likely named after the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Angus or Aonghas, who inhabited the region in ancient times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Angus
Among Census respondents with the surname Angus, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Angus 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 Angus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 3,157
- Black or African American13.0% · 550
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 188
- Two or more races4.4% · 185
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Angus
Angus 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
#7,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,214
+219 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 170 places
2020
#7,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,220
+6 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 269 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,684 | 3,995 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,854 | 4,214 | 1.43 | +219 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 170 places |
| 2020 | #7,585 | 4,220 | 1.41 | +6 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 269 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 Angus 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 | #7,854 | #7,585 | 3.4% |
| Count | 4,214 | 4,220 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.41 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Angus bearers went from 4,214 to 4,220 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 269 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,854 to #7,585.
FAQ
Angus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Angus?
Name Census estimates that about 4,839 living Americans carry the surname Angus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,832 residents.
How common is Angus?
Angus ranks #7,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,220 people with the surname Angus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,839), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Angus.
Has Angus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Angus went from 4,214 recorded bearers to 4,220. That is an increase of 6 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,854 to #7,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Angus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Angus, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Angus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (3,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Angus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (13.0%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Angus (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 Angus mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Aonghas," meaning "one choice" or "one strength." 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 Angus (1.41 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 Americans have the surname Angus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.