2000
#31,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 684
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Farrugia
A surname originating from Malta, derived from the Maltese word "ferrug" meaning a small boat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 846 Americans carry the last name Farrugia. That puts it at #33,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 405,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farrugia 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 Farrugia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
846
1 in 405,147
Census rank
#33,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
738
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 738 bearers of the surname Farrugia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrugia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farrugia
The surname Farrugia has its origins in Malta, a small island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea. The name first appeared during the medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Arabic word "farraj," which means "person from the town of Farraj" or "person from the relief."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Farrugia surname can be found in the Maltese Militia List of 1419-1420, where several individuals with this name are listed as serving in the local militia. The name was also present in various historical documents and records from the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Farrugia family held significant influence and power in Malta. Notable figures from this era include Fabrizio Farrugia, a prominent lawyer and jurist who lived in the late 16th century, and Girolamo Farrugia, a successful merchant and landowner who lived in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Farrugia surname gained further prominence with the birth of Vincenzo Farrugia (1725-1808), a Maltese architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Malta, including the Auberge de Castille, which served as the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller.
Another notable individual with the Farrugia surname was Francesco Farrugia (1819-1893), a Maltese philosopher, theologian, and author who wrote extensively on various topics, including logic, metaphysics, and ethics. He was influential in the intellectual circles of his time and served as a professor at the University of Malta.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Farrugia surname was Michael A. Farrugia (1939-2021), a Maltese-American professor and author who specialized in the study of Maltese literature and culture. He was a prominent figure in the Maltese diaspora community and played a significant role in preserving and promoting Maltese language and heritage.
The Farrugia surname has also been carried by several other notable individuals throughout history, including artists, politicians, and academics. While the name originated in Malta, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farrugia
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrugia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Farrugia 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 Farrugia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 663
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 58
- Two or more races0.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farrugia
Farrugia 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
#30,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 754
+70 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 1,021 places
2020
#33,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 738
-16 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 2,406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,884 | 684 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,863 | 754 | 0.26 | +70 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 1,021 places |
| 2020 | #33,269 | 738 | 0.25 | -16 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 2,406 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 Farrugia 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 | #30,863 | #33,269 | -7.8% |
| Count | 754 | 738 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.25 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farrugia bearers went from 754 to 738 (-2.1% change). The surname moved down 2,406 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,863 to #33,269.
FAQ
Farrugia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farrugia?
Name Census estimates that about 846 living Americans carry the surname Farrugia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 405,147 residents.
How common is Farrugia?
Farrugia ranks #33,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 738 people with the surname Farrugia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (846), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Farrugia.
Has Farrugia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farrugia went from 754 recorded bearers to 738. That is a decrease of 16 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,863 to #33,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Farrugia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrugia, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Farrugia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farrugia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (7.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Farrugia (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 Farrugia mean?
A surname originating from Malta, derived from the Maltese word "ferrug" meaning a small boat. 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 Farrugia (0.25 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 Farrugia?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Farrugia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.