2000
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bugai
A surname that may originate from Eastern European regions, potentially derived from a nickname or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Bugai. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bugai 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Bugai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugai, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bugai
The surname Bugai originates from Ukraine, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "buhay," which means "bull" or "stud." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptor for someone with a robust or strong physical appearance.
In the late 16th century, the name Bugai can be found in historical documents and records from the Poltava region of central Ukraine. One of the earliest recorded instances is in a land registry from 1587, where a landowner named Ivan Bugai is mentioned.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bugai surname appeared in various manuscripts and chronicles from the Cossack territories of modern-day Ukraine. Notable examples include Petro Bugai, a Cossack military leader who participated in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule in the mid-17th century, and Hryhoriy Bugai, a Cossack diplomat who negotiated treaties with the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, the Bugai surname can be traced to several prominent figures in Ukrainian history and culture. Taras Bugai (1818-1892) was a renowned poet and writer who contributed significantly to the development of modern Ukrainian literature. Oleksandr Bugai (1853-1917) was a prominent architect and urban planner responsible for the design of numerous buildings and public spaces in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Crossing into the 20th century, the Bugai surname continues to be associated with notable individuals. Mykola Bugai (1901-1978) was a prominent Soviet-era historian and author who specialized in the study of the Cossack era and the history of Ukraine. Volodymyr Bugai (1924-2007) was a respected literary critic and scholar who played a significant role in the preservation and promotion of Ukrainian literature during the Soviet period.
While the surname Bugai has its origins in Ukraine, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora communities. However, its historical roots and associations remain firmly grounded in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Ukraine.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bugai
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugai, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bugai 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 Bugai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bugai
Bugai 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-21 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,876 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,734 | 151 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 21,876 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,178 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 Bugai 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 | #130,610 | #142,788 | -9.3% |
| Count | 130 | 119 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bugai bearers went from 130 to 119 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #142,788.
FAQ
Bugai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bugai?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Bugai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Bugai?
Bugai ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Bugai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Bugai.
Has Bugai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bugai went from 130 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Bugai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugai, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Bugai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bugai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (0.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Bugai (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 Bugai mean?
A surname that may originate from Eastern European regions, potentially derived from a nickname or occupation. 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 Bugai (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 share the surname Bugai?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.