2000
#9,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Hagans
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hÁgáin, meaning "descendant of Ágán," derived from a diminutive of Ága, meaning "battle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,652 Americans carry the last name Hagans. That puts it at #9,724 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,854 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hagans 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
3.7K
1 in 93,854
Census rank
#9,724
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,185 bearers of the surname Hagans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9724th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hagans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hagans
The surname Hagans is believed to have originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic personal name Áengus, which means "one strength" or "one vigor." This name was commonly found in various parts of Ireland, including County Donegal, County Mayo, and County Sligo.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Hagans can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Donnell Hagans, who was recorded in the Fiants of Ireland in 1587. The name was also found in various Irish annals and historical records from this period.
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many Irish families, including those with the surname Hagans, emigrated to the American colonies, particularly to the regions of Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. One notable early American bearer of the name was William Hagans, who was born in Ireland around 1730 and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout history, the surname Hagans has been subject to various spelling variations, including Hagan, Hagen, Haggin, and Haggans. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences.
Some notable individuals with the surname Hagans throughout history include:
1. Donnell Hagans (fl. 1587), one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in Ireland.
2. William Hagans (c. 1730-1810), an Irish immigrant to Pennsylvania and a Revolutionary War soldier.
3. John Hagans (1770-1836), an American farmer and politician from Kentucky.
4. James Hagans (1815-1891), an Irish-born businessman and landowner in Australia.
5. Mary Hagans (1853-1933), an American educator and philanthropist from Pennsylvania.
While the surname Hagans has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other regions with significant Irish diaspora populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hagans
Among Census respondents with the surname Hagans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hagans 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 Hagans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.9% · 1,654
- White38.4% · 1,224
- Two or more races4.5% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 128
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hagans
Hagans 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
#9,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,316
+128 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 396 places
2020
#9,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,185
-131 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,374 | 3,188 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,770 | 3,316 | 1.12 | +128 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 396 places |
| 2020 | #9,724 | 3,185 | 1.07 | -131 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 46 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 Hagans 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 | #9,770 | #9,724 | 0.5% |
| Count | 3,316 | 3,185 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.07 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hagans bearers went from 3,316 to 3,185 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,770 to #9,724.
FAQ
Hagans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hagans?
Name Census estimates that about 3,652 living Americans carry the surname Hagans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,854 residents.
How common is Hagans?
Hagans ranks #9,724 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,185 people with the surname Hagans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hagans.
Has Hagans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hagans went from 3,316 recorded bearers to 3,185. That is a decrease of 131 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,770 to #9,724.
What does the Census say about the background of Hagans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hagans, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (38.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Hagans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.9% (1,654 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hagans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.9%), White (38.4%), Two or More Races (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 Hagans (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 Hagans mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hÁgáin, meaning "descendant of Ágán," derived from a diminutive of Ága, meaning "battle." 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 Hagans (1.07 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 have the surname Hagans?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.