2000
#4,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Rare Last name
Fogarty
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Fógartaigh, meaning "descendant of Fógartach," a personal name meaning "banished."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,970 Americans carry the last name Fogarty. That puts it at #4,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,211 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fogarty 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 Fogarty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,211
Census rank
#4,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,822 bearers of the surname Fogarty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogarty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fogarty
The surname Fogarty is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Fogartaigh, which originated in County Mayo, Ireland. It is derived from the Irish word "fogaradh," meaning "to banish" or "exile."
The name can be traced back to the 11th century, when it referred to a family that was forced to leave their ancestral lands and settle elsewhere. The earliest recorded example of the name dates back to 1199, when a man named Fogarty is mentioned in the Annals of Lough Cé.
In the 16th century, the Fogarty clan was one of the most influential families in County Mayo. They were based in the barony of Gallen and held significant land and power in the region.
The name Fogarty has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Edmond Fogarty (1552-1618), an Irish Catholic bishop who played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation in Ireland.
Another prominent figure was John Fogarty (1785-1855), an Irish sculptor and architect who designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Rotunda Hospital and the Pro-Cathedral.
In the 19th century, James Fogarty (1830-1891) was a prominent Australian politician and newspaper editor who served as the Premier of Queensland between 1876 and 1879.
More recently, John Fogarty (1913-1980) was an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the folk group The Weavers and wrote the iconic song "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine."
The name Fogarty has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Fogartystown and Fogartylawn, reflecting the historical presence of the Fogarty clan in these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fogarty
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogarty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fogarty 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 Fogarty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 7,243
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 225
- Two or more races2.6% · 201
- Black or African American0.9% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fogarty
Fogarty 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
#4,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,245
+366 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 2.80
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#4,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,822
-423 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,168 | 7,879 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,311 | 8,245 | 2.80 | +366 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #4,391 | 7,822 | 2.62 | -423 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 80 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 Fogarty 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 | #4,311 | #4,391 | -1.9% |
| Count | 8,245 | 7,822 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.80 | 2.62 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fogarty bearers went from 8,245 to 7,822 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,311 to #4,391.
FAQ
Fogarty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fogarty?
Name Census estimates that about 8,970 living Americans carry the surname Fogarty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,211 residents.
How common is Fogarty?
Fogarty ranks #4,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,822 people with the surname Fogarty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fogarty.
Has Fogarty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fogarty went from 8,245 recorded bearers to 7,822. That is a decrease of 423 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,311 to #4,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Fogarty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogarty, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Fogarty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (7,243 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fogarty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Fogarty (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 Fogarty mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Fógartaigh, meaning "descendant of Fógartach," a personal name meaning "banished." 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 Fogarty (2.62 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 Fogarty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.