2000
#4,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,603
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.82
Rare Last name
Bogan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bogáin," meaning "descendant of Bogán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,776 Americans carry the last name Bogan. That puts it at #4,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,056 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bogan 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 Bogan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 39,056
Census rank
#4,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,653 bearers of the surname Bogan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bogan
The surname Bogan is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "bóghún," which means "soft or tender." It may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a gentle or kind demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bogan surname can be found in the "Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns," a collection of official documents from the 16th century. The name appears in these records as "Bogan" and "Boaghan," suggesting variations in spelling existed from the beginning.
In the 17th century, the Bogan surname was particularly prevalent in County Wexford, Ireland. Records from this time period show several individuals bearing the name, such as Patrick Bogan, who was born in Wexford in 1632, and Edward Bogan, a landowner in the same county, who lived from 1650 to 1718.
The Bogan name can also be traced back to the town of Bognor Regis in West Sussex, England. It is believed that some Irish families with the surname Bogan may have migrated to this area, leading to the name's association with the town. However, the exact connection between the surname and the place name is unclear.
One notable figure in history with the Bogan surname was James Bogan, an Irish poet and playwright who lived from 1675 to 1742. His works, which included plays and satirical poems, earned him recognition during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual was John Bogan, an Irish-born architect who lived from 1760 to 1823. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Dublin, including the City Hall and the Royal Exchange.
In the 19th century, the Bogan surname continued to be found in Ireland, as well as in other parts of the world where Irish emigrants had settled. One example is Michael Bogan, an Australian politician and landowner who was born in County Wexford in 1812 and later became a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
Throughout its history, the Bogan surname has maintained a strong presence in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Wexford, Kilkenny, and Waterford. While its origins may be rooted in a descriptive term, the name has endured and been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including poets, architects, and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bogan
Among Census respondents with the surname Bogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bogan 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 Bogan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.0% · 3,753
- Black or African American42.9% · 3,286
- Two or more races4.2% · 324
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 230
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bogan
Bogan 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
#4,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,034
+431 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#4,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,653
-381 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,326 | 7,603 | 2.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,425 | 8,034 | 2.72 | +431 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #4,511 | 7,653 | 2.56 | -381 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 86 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 Bogan 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 | #4,425 | #4,511 | -1.9% |
| Count | 8,034 | 7,653 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.56 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bogan bearers went from 8,034 to 7,653 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,425 to #4,511.
FAQ
Bogan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bogan?
Name Census estimates that about 8,776 living Americans carry the surname Bogan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,056 residents.
How common is Bogan?
Bogan ranks #4,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,653 people with the surname Bogan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bogan.
Has Bogan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bogan went from 8,034 recorded bearers to 7,653. That is a decrease of 381 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,425 to #4,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bogan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bogan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.0% (3,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bogan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.0%), Black (42.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bogan (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 Bogan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bogáin," meaning "descendant of Bogán," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Bogan (2.56 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 Bogan?
Find out how common the surname Bogan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.