2000
#9,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,974
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Beagle
A surname derived from the Old French word "begle," meaning "loudmouth" or "one who shouts."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,376 Americans carry the last name Beagle. That puts it at #10,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,527 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beagle 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 Beagle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,527
Census rank
#10,419
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,944 bearers of the surname Beagle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beagle
The surname Beagle can be traced back to the Middle English era, originating in England during the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "beagol," which referred to a small, scent-hunting dog breed. This breed was particularly prized for its keen sense of smell and ability to track quarry through dense vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beagle can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a certain William Beagel was mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who bred or trained these hounds.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Beagill, Beaghell, and Beaghil. These variations reflect the regional dialects and phonetic shifts that occurred across different parts of England.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Beagle, a knight from Nottinghamshire who fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III. His legacy can be traced through historical accounts of the time, such as theChronicon Monastery de Bello.
During the Tudor period, the Beagle name gained prominence with the rise of Sir Thomas Beagle (1499-1567), a prominent politician and landowner in Warwickshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his support of the Protestant Reformation.
Another influential figure was Robert Beagle (1602-1683), a prominent Puritan clergyman and author from Hertfordshire. His works, such as "A Treatise on Christian Piety," were widely read and influential in shaping religious thought during the 17th century.
In the realm of exploration, Lieutenant Matthew Beagle (1767-1841) left his mark as a naval officer and surveyor who participated in several voyages of discovery, including the circumnavigation of Australia under the command of Captain Philip Parker King.
The Beagle name has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Beagle's Green in Hertfordshire and Beagle's Farm in Oxfordshire, further cementing its historical roots in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beagle
Among Census respondents with the surname Beagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Beagle 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 Beagle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,700
- Two or more races3.5% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 61
- Black or African American1.6% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beagle
Beagle 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
#10,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,053
+79 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 514 places
2020
#10,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,944
-109 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,998 | 2,974 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,512 | 3,053 | 1.03 | +79 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 514 places |
| 2020 | #10,419 | 2,944 | 0.98 | -109 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 93 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 Beagle 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 | #10,512 | #10,419 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,053 | 2,944 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.98 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beagle bearers went from 3,053 to 2,944 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,512 to #10,419.
FAQ
Beagle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beagle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,376 living Americans carry the surname Beagle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,527 residents.
How common is Beagle?
Beagle ranks #10,419 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,944 people with the surname Beagle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,376), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Beagle.
Has Beagle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beagle went from 3,053 recorded bearers to 2,944. That is a decrease of 109 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,512 to #10,419.
What does the Census say about the background of Beagle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beagle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Beagle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beagle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Beagle (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 Beagle mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "begle," meaning "loudmouth" or "one who shouts." 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 Beagle (0.98 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 share the surname Beagle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.