2000
#8,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Haugh
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a hedged or fenced enclosure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,830 Americans carry the last name Haugh. That puts it at #9,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,492 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haugh 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 Haugh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,492
Census rank
#9,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,340 bearers of the surname Haugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haugh
The surname Haugh has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "haugh," which means a small valley or a meadow by a river. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in such a location.
Haugh is a topographic surname, meaning it was initially given to someone based on their place of residence or a prominent geographical feature near their home. The name may have originated in various areas of Scotland, as the term "haugh" was commonly used throughout the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Johannes de Hauh" appears in these rolls, indicating the presence of the name in Scotland during that period.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Haugh throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir William de Haugh, who was a Scottish knight and landowner in the 14th century. He is mentioned in various charters and records from the time, indicating his significance in the region.
Another notable figure was John Haugh, born in 1605, who was a prominent merchant and burgess (a freeman of a borough) in Edinburgh during the 17th century. He played an important role in the city's trade and commerce during that time.
In the 18th century, James Haugh (1717-1789) was a Scottish philosopher and educator. He served as the rector of the Grammar School in Stirling and was known for his writings on education and moral philosophy.
During the 19th century, Robert Haugh (1828-1912) was a Scottish businessman and industrialist who made significant contributions to the textile industry in the town of Hawick, located in the Scottish Borders.
Another notable figure was Mary Haugh (1855-1936), a Scottish suffragette and campaigner for women's rights. She was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement in Glasgow and played a crucial role in advocating for women's right to vote.
The surname Haugh has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Haugh of Urr in Dumfries and Galloway, and Haugh Head in the Scottish Borders. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographical features it is derived from.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Haugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Haugh 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 Haugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,074
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 105
- Two or more races3.0% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 35
- Black or African American0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haugh
Haugh 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
#9,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,558
+98 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 431 places
2020
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,340
-218 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,743 | 3,460 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,174 | 3,558 | 1.21 | +98 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 431 places |
| 2020 | #9,350 | 3,340 | 1.12 | -218 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 176 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 Haugh 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 | #9,174 | #9,350 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,558 | 3,340 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.12 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haugh bearers went from 3,558 to 3,340 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,174 to #9,350.
FAQ
Haugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haugh?
Name Census estimates that about 3,830 living Americans carry the surname Haugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,492 residents.
How common is Haugh?
Haugh ranks #9,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,340 people with the surname Haugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Haugh.
Has Haugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haugh went from 3,558 recorded bearers to 3,340. That is a decrease of 218 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,174 to #9,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Haugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Haugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Haugh (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 Haugh mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a hedged or fenced enclosure. 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 Haugh (1.12 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 Haugh?
See how many Americans have the surname Haugh on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.