2000
#5,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,082
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
August
A surname derived from the month of August or referring to someone majestic, great, or venerable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,159 Americans carry the last name August. That puts it at #5,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the August 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 August with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,877
Census rank
#5,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,243 bearers of the surname August in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname August, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of August
The surname August originated in Germany during the medieval period, derived from the Latin name Augustus, meaning "venerable" or "consecrated." It was initially used as a personal name or a nickname, referring to someone born in the month of August or someone of high esteem.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname August can be found in various German records and documents dating back to the 13th century. One notable example is a mention of a certain Henricus August in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical records from the Anhalt region, dated around 1270.
In the 14th century, the name August appeared in several historical manuscripts, such as the Werdener Urkundenbuch, which contained records from the town of Werden in the Ruhr region. These early mentions suggest that the name was well-established in various parts of Germany by this time.
As the surname spread throughout German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Augustin, Augustinus, and Augustiner. Some of these variations were likely influenced by the Latin root "Augustus" or the month of August.
Prominent individuals bearing the surname August throughout history include Johann Christian August Heyse (1764-1829), a German philologist and lexicographer known for his work on the German language. Another notable figure is Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992), an Austrian-British economist and philosopher who received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1974.
Other notable individuals with the surname August include:
1. Johann Samuel August Abbt (1733-1766), a German philosopher and writer.
2. Johann Christian August Clarus (1774-1854), a German jurist and criminologist.
3. Johann August Sutter (1803-1880), a German-born Swiss pioneer and settler in California.
4. Ernst August Guenther (1876-1963), a German-born American botanist and plant breeder.
5. Adolphus August Busch (1839-1913), a German-American brewer and co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch company.
While the surname August has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through German immigration and cultural influence. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Latin name Augustus, reflecting its historical significance and enduring presence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for August
Among Census respondents with the surname August, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how August 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 August surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.3% · 3,887
- Black or African American27.2% · 1,696
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 312
- Two or more races3.7% · 229
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for August
August 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
#5,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,456
+374 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 124 places
2020
#5,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,243
-213 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,265 | 6,082 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,389 | 6,456 | 2.19 | +374 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 124 places |
| 2020 | #5,394 | 6,243 | 2.09 | -213 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5 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 August 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 | #5,389 | #5,394 | -0.1% |
| Count | 6,456 | 6,243 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 2.09 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of August bearers went from 6,456 to 6,243 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,389 to #5,394.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname August
FAQ
August surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname August?
Name Census estimates that about 7,159 living Americans carry the surname August. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,877 residents.
How common is August?
August ranks #5,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 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 6,243 people with the surname August. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,159), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 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 August.
Has August become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname August went from 6,456 recorded bearers to 6,243. That is a decrease of 213 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,389 to #5,394.
What does the Census say about the background of August?
Among Census respondents with the surname August, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 August in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.3% (3,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
August appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.3%), Black (27.2%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 August (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 August mean?
A surname derived from the month of August or referring to someone majestic, great, or venerable. 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 August (2.09 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 are called August?
See how many people have the surname August on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.