2000
#3,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.73
Uncommon Last name
Fugate
Derived from Middle English "fogge," referring to long grass, and "gate," meaning road, likely denoting someone living near a grassy path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,497 Americans carry the last name Fugate. That puts it at #3,472 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,813 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fugate 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 29,813
Census rank
#3,472
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,026 bearers of the surname Fugate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3472nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugate, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fugate
The surname Fugate is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fugol," meaning "bird." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was associated with birds, perhaps a hunter or a bird keeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fugate can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fugel." This entry suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name took on various spellings, including "Fugail," "Fugel," and "Fugill," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. These variations can be found in various historical records and documents from that period.
The name Fugate has been linked to several place names in England, such as Fuggleswick in North Yorkshire and Fugglesgate in Cumbria. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.
Notable individuals with the surname Fugate throughout history include:
1. Sir Robert Fugate (c. 1560-1628), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
2. William Fugate (1773-1848), an American pioneer and frontiersman who established settlements in Kentucky and Tennessee.
3. Reverend John Fugate (1810-1892), an American Baptist minister and abolitionist who played a significant role in the Underground Railroad.
4. Martha Fugate (1834-1915), an American quilter and folk artist known for her intricate quilting patterns and designs.
5. Samuel Fugate (1892-1972), an American author and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Kentucky and the Appalachian region.
The surname Fugate has a rich history, reflecting its English origins and the migrations of its bearers across different regions and continents. While its usage may have evolved over time, the name remains a testament to the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the English language and its associated surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fugate
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugate, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fugate 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 Fugate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 8,853
- Two or more races4.4% · 442
- Black or African American3.6% · 359
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 251
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fugate
Fugate 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
#3,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,375
+320 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.52
Rank movement Down 178 places
2020
#3,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,026
-349 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.35
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,263 | 10,055 | 3.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,441 | 10,375 | 3.52 | +320 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 178 places |
| 2020 | #3,472 | 10,026 | 3.35 | -349 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 31 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 Fugate 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 | #3,441 | #3,472 | -0.9% |
| Count | 10,375 | 10,026 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.52 | 3.35 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fugate bearers went from 10,375 to 10,026 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,441 to #3,472.
FAQ
Fugate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fugate?
Name Census estimates that about 11,497 living Americans carry the surname Fugate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,813 residents.
How common is Fugate?
Fugate ranks #3,472 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.35 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 10,026 people with the surname Fugate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,497), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.35 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 Fugate.
Has Fugate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fugate went from 10,375 recorded bearers to 10,026. That is a decrease of 349 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,441 to #3,472.
What does the Census say about the background of Fugate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fugate, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Fugate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (8,853 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fugate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (3.6%). 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 Fugate (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 Fugate mean?
Derived from Middle English "fogge," referring to long grass, and "gate," meaning road, likely denoting someone living near a grassy path. 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 Fugate (3.35 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 Fugate?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.