2000
#5,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,428
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Arbogast
Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements arn, meaning "eagle", and gast, meaning "stranger" or "guest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,052 Americans carry the last name Arbogast. That puts it at #6,213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,635 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arbogast 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.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,635
Census rank
#6,213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,278 bearers of the surname Arbogast in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbogast, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arbogast
The surname Arbogast originated in France, with its roots tracing back to the Frankish and Germanic tribes that inhabited the region during the early medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name Arbogast or Arabogast, which is composed of the elements "ara," meaning eagle, and "gast," meaning guest or stranger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arbogast can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the name Arbogast, indicating that the surname was already in use during the 11th century.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Arbogast of Strasbourg (c. 1105 - 1184) served as the Bishop of Strasbourg and played a significant role in the political and religious affairs of the Holy Roman Empire. His influence and prominence likely contributed to the further dissemination of the name throughout the region.
During the 13th century, the surname Arbogast appeared in various records and documents across France and the Low Countries. One notable individual was Eberhard Arbogast (c. 1240 - 1301), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of algebra and the development of the astrolabe.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Arbogaste, Arbogastus, and Arboghast appearing in different regions. In the 16th century, a French diplomat named Jacques Arbogast (1521 - 1592) gained recognition for his role in negotiating peace treaties during the French Wars of Religion.
Another prominent figure bearing the Arbogast surname was Louis François Antoine Arbogast (1759 - 1803), a French mathematician and military engineer who made significant contributions to the fields of calculus and mechanics. He is particularly renowned for his work on the theory of differential equations and the development of the method of undetermined coefficients.
Throughout its history, the surname Arbogast has been associated with various professions, including clergy, scholars, diplomats, and military figures. While the name originated in France and the surrounding regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arbogast
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbogast, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Arbogast 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 Arbogast surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,856
- Two or more races3.7% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 35
- Black or African American0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arbogast
Arbogast 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
#6,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,625
+197 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 260 places
2020
#6,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,278
-347 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,838 | 5,428 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,098 | 5,625 | 1.91 | +197 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 260 places |
| 2020 | #6,213 | 5,278 | 1.77 | -347 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 115 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 Arbogast 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 | #6,098 | #6,213 | -1.9% |
| Count | 5,625 | 5,278 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.77 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arbogast bearers went from 5,625 to 5,278 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,098 to #6,213.
FAQ
Arbogast surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arbogast?
Name Census estimates that about 6,052 living Americans carry the surname Arbogast. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,635 residents.
How common is Arbogast?
Arbogast ranks #6,213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,278 people with the surname Arbogast. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,052), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Arbogast.
Has Arbogast become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arbogast went from 5,625 recorded bearers to 5,278. That is a decrease of 347 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,098 to #6,213.
What does the Census say about the background of Arbogast?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbogast, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Arbogast in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arbogast appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Arbogast (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 Arbogast mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements arn, meaning "eagle", and gast, meaning "stranger" or "guest". 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 Arbogast (1.77 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 last name Arbogast?
You can see how common the surname Arbogast is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.