2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Borgh
A surname possibly derived from the Dutch word "borg" meaning a castle or fortress.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Borgh. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borgh 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Borgh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgh, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borgh
The surname BORGH is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "burh," meaning a fortified town or a borough. The name likely originated among those who lived in or near a fortified settlement or town during the Anglo-Saxon era.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name BORGH can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Burgh" or "Burghe," reflecting the earlier spelling variations.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name BORGH was Sir Roger de Burgh, a Norman knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade. He was born around 1160 and played a significant role in the siege of Acre in 1191.
Another prominent individual was Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, who lived from 1259 to 1326. He was a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman and one of the most influential figures in Ireland during the 13th and 14th centuries, serving as Lord of Connaught and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
In the 15th century, Thomas Burgh or Borugh (c. 1430 - 1496) was an English scholar and the first headmaster of the renowned Eton College. He was instrumental in establishing the college's curriculum and academic traditions.
During the Tudor period, Sir John Burgh (c. 1490 - 1539) was a notable English courtier and military commander. He served under King Henry VIII and was instrumental in suppressing the Pilgrimage of Grace, a major uprising against the king's policies in 1536-1537.
In the 17th century, William Bourgh (1636 - 1711) was an English mathematician and surveyor who made significant contributions to the field of navigation and surveying techniques. His work influenced the development of modern cartography and navigation methods.
The name BORGH has been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Burgh-le-Marsh in Lincolnshire, Burgh St. Peter in Norfolk, and Burgh-by-Sands in Cumbria, reflecting the name's connection to fortified settlements or towns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borgh
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgh, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Borgh 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 Borgh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 102
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Borgh
Borgh 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+5 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,258 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-20 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,729 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 4,258 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 18,729 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 Borgh 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 | #132,206 | #150,935 | -14.2% |
| Count | 128 | 108 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Borgh bearers went from 128 to 108 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 18,729 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,935.
FAQ
Borgh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Borgh?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Borgh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Borgh?
Borgh ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Borgh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Borgh.
Has Borgh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Borgh went from 128 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Borgh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borgh, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Borgh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Borgh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Borgh (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 Borgh mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Dutch word "borg" meaning a castle or fortress. 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 Borgh (0.04 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 surname Borgh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.