2000
#8,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,594
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Bugg
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of an unspecified item, possibly ale mugs or jugs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,668 Americans carry the last name Bugg. That puts it at #9,687 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bugg 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 Bugg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,444
Census rank
#9,687
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,199 bearers of the surname Bugg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9687th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bugg
The surname "BUGG" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, during the 13th and 14th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bugge," which referred to a small bend or curve in a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a person named Richard Bugge is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of people living in medieval England.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Bugge," "Bugges," and "Bugg." These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. For example, in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524, a John Bugg is listed as residing in the village of Chinnor, Oxfordshire.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname "BUGG" was Sir William Bugg, a member of the English gentry who lived during the 16th century. He was born in Buckinghamshire around 1530 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wycombe in 1558 and 1563.
Another individual of note was Francis Bugg, a Quaker writer and controversialist who lived from 1640 to 1727. He was born in Wiltshire and is known for his criticism of the Quaker doctrine and his numerous published works, including "The Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity" (1698).
In the 17th century, the name "BUGG" also appeared in records related to the colonization of the Americas. For instance, Samuel Bugg was listed as a passenger on the ship "Constant Friendship" bound for Virginia in 1635.
Moving into the 18th century, we find John Bugg, an English architect and surveyor who was born in 1768 and worked on several notable projects, including the construction of the Kenwood House in London.
Lastly, in the 19th century, there was George Bugg, a British poet and writer who was born in 1847 in Devonshire. He published several collections of poems, including "Idylls of the Fells" (1887) and "Lyrics of Love and Life" (1891).
Throughout its history, the surname "BUGG" has maintained a strong presence, particularly in England, and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including gentry, writers, architects, and poets.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bugg
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bugg 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 Bugg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 2,345
- Black or African American17.2% · 551
- Two or more races4.8% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bugg
Bugg 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
#9,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,408
-186 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 1,095 places
2020
#9,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
-209 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,444 | 3,594 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,539 | 3,408 | 1.16 | -186 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 1,095 places |
| 2020 | #9,687 | 3,199 | 1.07 | -209 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 148 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 Bugg 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 | #9,539 | #9,687 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,408 | 3,199 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.07 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bugg bearers went from 3,408 to 3,199 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 148 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,539 to #9,687.
FAQ
Bugg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bugg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,668 living Americans carry the surname Bugg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,444 residents.
How common is Bugg?
Bugg ranks #9,687 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,199 people with the surname Bugg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Bugg.
Has Bugg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bugg went from 3,408 recorded bearers to 3,199. That is a decrease of 209 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,539 to #9,687.
What does the Census say about the background of Bugg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bugg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Bugg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (2,345 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bugg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (17.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Bugg (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 Bugg mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of an unspecified item, possibly ale mugs or jugs. 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 Bugg (1.07 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 Bugg?
Find out how many people have the last name Bugg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.