2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gugerty
Irish surname meaning "defender" or "watchman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Gugerty. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gugerty 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Gugerty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gugerty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gugerty
The surname Gugerty is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "guagaire," which means "wanderer" or "vagrant." The name may have been bestowed upon individuals who led a nomadic lifestyle or had a reputation for frequently traveling from one place to another.
Historically, the surname Gugerty has been associated with various regions in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in parish records and land registries from the late 1600s and early 1700s.
One notable historical reference to the Gugerty name is in the Petty Census of Ireland, conducted in the late 17th century. This census documented several individuals with variations of the name, such as Guggarty and Guggerty, residing in various parts of the country.
Among the earliest known individuals to bear the surname Gugerty was Patrick Gugerty, born in County Cork in 1698. Records indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the region. Another prominent figure was Michael Gugerty, born in 1745 in County Kerry, who served as a soldier in the Irish Brigade of the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, the name Gugerty gained prominence with the birth of John Gugerty (1821-1894), a renowned scholar and educator from County Limerick. He was instrumental in establishing several schools and educational institutions in his local community.
Another noteworthy individual was Mary Gugerty (1856-1928), a philanthropist and social activist from County Cork. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
As the Gugerty family dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Gugherty, Guggerty, and Gughairty, reflecting regional dialects and changes over time.
While the Gugerty surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on Irish history, with individuals from this lineage contributing to various fields, including agriculture, education, military service, and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gugerty
Among Census respondents with the surname Gugerty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gugerty 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 Gugerty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gugerty
Gugerty 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-4 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,577 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 11,577 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,821 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 Gugerty 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 | #136,449 | #144,270 | -5.7% |
| Count | 123 | 117 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gugerty bearers went from 123 to 117 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #144,270.
FAQ
Gugerty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gugerty?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Gugerty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Gugerty?
Gugerty ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Gugerty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Gugerty.
Has Gugerty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gugerty went from 123 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gugerty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gugerty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Gugerty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gugerty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Hispanic (8.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Gugerty (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 Gugerty mean?
Irish surname meaning "defender" or "watchman". 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 Gugerty (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 Gugerty?
See how many Americans have the surname Gugerty on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.