2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fogan
A corruption of the Irish surnames Ó Fogáin or Ó Fógartaigh, derived from Irish words meaning "storyteller" or "harbinger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Fogan. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fogan 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Fogan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fogan
The surname Fogan originated in Ireland, likely emerging in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "foghain," meaning "to serve" or "to suffice." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a servant or someone employed in domestic service.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fogan can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, where a Thomas Fogan is listed as residing in County Wexford, Ireland. The name also appears in various parish records and land surveys from the 17th and 18th centuries, predominantly in the counties of Wexford and Kilkenny.
During the 17th century, the name Fogan was sometimes spelled as "Foggan" or "Foggin," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. In the early 19th century, there are records of a Fogan family residing in the townland of Ballymartin, near Kilmore Quay in County Wexford.
One notable figure with the surname Fogan was John Fogan, a Catholic priest and educator who lived from 1770 to 1848. He was instrumental in establishing Catholic schools in County Wexford during a time when Catholic education was heavily restricted in Ireland.
Another individual of note was Michael Fogan, born in 1824 in County Wexford. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century and became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City, contributing to various charitable causes and supporting Irish immigrants.
In the late 19th century, a James Fogan, born in 1856 in County Kilkenny, gained recognition as a talented artist and painter. His works, depicting landscapes and scenes of rural Irish life, were exhibited in various galleries across Ireland and England.
Additionally, the Fogan surname has been linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Fogan's Cross and Fogan's Bridge, both located in County Wexford. These place names likely derived from individuals or families bearing the Fogan surname who lived in or owned land in those areas.
While not as prominent as some other Irish surnames, the name Fogan has a rich history and connection to the counties of Wexford and Kilkenny, where it has been documented for several centuries. The name's origins and meaning reflect the diverse occupations and roles that individuals with this surname may have held throughout Irish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fogan
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fogan 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 Fogan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.5% · 86
- White11.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fogan
Fogan 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-28 bearers (-20.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,914 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-20.4%) | Down 32,914 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 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 Fogan 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 | #150,452 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fogan bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Fogan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fogan?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Fogan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Fogan?
Fogan ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Fogan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Fogan.
Has Fogan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fogan went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Fogan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fogan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fogan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.5%), White (11.7%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Fogan (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 Fogan mean?
A corruption of the Irish surnames Ó Fogáin or Ó Fógartaigh, derived from Irish words meaning "storyteller" or "harbinger". 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 Fogan (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 common is the surname Fogan?
See how many people have the last name Fogan on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.