2000
#22,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,056
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Begg
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic word meaning "little" or "small".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,235 Americans carry the last name Begg. That puts it at #24,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 277,534 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Begg 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 Begg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 277,534
Census rank
#24,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,077 bearers of the surname Begg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Begg, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Begg
The surname BEGG has its origins in Scotland, where it emerged in the late 12th century as a variant of the Old English name BAGGA. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "baggi," meaning "bundle" or "pack," suggesting that the original bearer may have been someone who transported goods or worked as a carrier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEGG can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named Thomas Begg is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Scotland by the 13th century.
The BEGG surname is also closely associated with the town of Ayr, located in the southwest of Scotland. Historical records from the 16th century indicate that several families bearing the name BEGG resided in and around the Ayr area, and the name may have originated as a reference to someone from that particular region.
In the 17th century, the BEGG surname appears in various legal documents and parish records across Scotland. One notable individual was James Begg, a Scottish minister and theologian who lived from 1808 to 1888. He was a prominent figure in the Free Church of Scotland and played a significant role in the ecclesiastical debates of his time.
Another notable bearer of the BEGG surname was John Begg, a Scottish author and journalist who lived from 1834 to 1912. He wrote several books on Scottish history and culture, including "The Scots Worthies" and "The Covenanters of the Merse."
In the 19th century, the BEGG surname gained further prominence with the birth of Robert Begg (1840-1920), a Scottish industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded the Robert Begg & Co. Ltd, a successful textile manufacturing company based in Paisley, Scotland.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the BEGG surname was Alistair Begg, a Scottish-born Christian minister and author who was born in 1959. He is widely known for his work as a pastor and for his contributions to biblical teaching and preaching.
Throughout its history, the BEGG surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, with various branches of the family spreading across the country and beyond. While the name may have evolved from its original Old Norse roots, its Scottish heritage remains a defining characteristic of this ancient surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Begg
Among Census respondents with the surname Begg, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Begg 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 Begg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 895
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.5% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 53
- Black or African American2.9% · 31
- Two or more races2.5% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Begg
Begg 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
#24,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,022
-34 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 1,777 places
2020
#24,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,077
+55 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,706 | 1,056 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,483 | 1,022 | 0.35 | -34 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 1,777 places |
| 2020 | #24,236 | 1,077 | 0.36 | +55 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 247 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 Begg 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 | #24,483 | #24,236 | 1.0% |
| Count | 1,022 | 1,077 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.36 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Begg bearers went from 1,022 to 1,077 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,483 to #24,236.
FAQ
Begg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Begg?
Name Census estimates that about 1,235 living Americans carry the surname Begg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 277,534 residents.
How common is Begg?
Begg ranks #24,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,077 people with the surname Begg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Begg.
Has Begg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Begg went from 1,022 recorded bearers to 1,077. That is an increase of 55 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,483 to #24,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Begg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Begg, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Begg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (895 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Begg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Begg (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 Begg mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic word meaning "little" or "small". 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 Begg (0.36 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 common is the surname Begg?
If you just want to know how common the surname Begg is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.