2000
#3,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,994
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Fogle
An occupational surname for a person who sold or distributed fowl or birds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,317 Americans carry the last name Fogle. That puts it at #3,526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,287 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fogle 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
11K
1 in 30,287
Census rank
#3,526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,869 bearers of the surname Fogle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fogle
The surname Fogle originated in the German language and can be traced back to areas of modern-day Germany and Switzerland in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "fogal" or "fogil," meaning "bird" or "fowl." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who had a particular association with birds, such as a hunter, breeder, or someone with bird-like characteristics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fogle can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, from the year 1583, where a certain Hans Fogle is mentioned as a resident. In the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and legal documents across southern Germany and neighboring regions.
The Fogle surname also has historical ties to the Palatinate region of present-day southwestern Germany. During the 18th century, many Palatine Germans emigrated to British colonies in North America, including individuals bearing the name Fogle or variations such as Fogl or Vogel. This migration played a significant role in the spread of the surname across the Atlantic.
Notable individuals with the surname Fogle throughout history include Johann Michael Fogle (1665-1741), a German theologian and author from Nuremberg. Another prominent figure was Johann Christoph Fogle (1701-1782), a celebrated organist and composer from Mannheim, who made significant contributions to the development of classical music.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1790 census, where a Jacob Fogle is listed as a resident of Pennsylvania. During the 19th century, the Fogle family established roots in various parts of the country, with several members achieving prominence in their respective fields.
One such individual was James A. Fogle (1827-1899), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, who later served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana. Another notable figure was Samuel B. Fogle (1856-1933), an educator and school administrator who played a pivotal role in the development of the public education system in North Carolina.
In more recent times, the name Fogle has been carried by individuals such as Robert Fogle (1915-2005), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox in the 1940s, and Jared Fogle (born 1977), a former spokesperson for the Subway restaurant chain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fogle
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fogle 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 Fogle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 7,769
- Black or African American13.7% · 1,352
- Two or more races3.8% · 379
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 262
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fogle
Fogle 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
#3,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,434
+440 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Down 130 places
2020
#3,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,869
-565 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,289 | 9,994 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,419 | 10,434 | 3.54 | +440 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 130 places |
| 2020 | #3,526 | 9,869 | 3.30 | -565 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 107 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 Fogle 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 | #3,419 | #3,526 | -3.1% |
| Count | 10,434 | 9,869 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.54 | 3.30 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fogle bearers went from 10,434 to 9,869 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,419 to #3,526.
FAQ
Fogle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fogle?
Name Census estimates that about 11,317 living Americans carry the surname Fogle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,287 residents.
How common is Fogle?
Fogle ranks #3,526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.30 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 9,869 people with the surname Fogle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,317), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.30 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 Fogle.
Has Fogle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fogle went from 10,434 recorded bearers to 9,869. That is a decrease of 565 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,419 to #3,526.
What does the Census say about the background of Fogle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fogle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Fogle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (7,769 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fogle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (13.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Fogle (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 Fogle mean?
An occupational surname for a person who sold or distributed fowl or birds. 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 Fogle (3.30 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 Fogle?
You can see how many people have the surname Fogle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.