2000
#8,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,774
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Magallon
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a spot abounding in magpies."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,560 Americans carry the last name Magallon. That puts it at #6,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magallon 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
5.6K
1 in 61,646
Census rank
#6,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,849 bearers of the surname Magallon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magallon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magallon
The surname Magallon has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "magallon," which referred to a large stone or rock. This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname or a reference to a specific place with a notable rock formation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Magallon surname can be found in the Catalonian region of Spain, where it appears in various historical documents from the 13th century. The name was also present in the neighboring regions of Aragon and Valencia during this time period.
In the 14th century, the Magallon family gained prominence in the city of Zaragoza, located in the region of Aragon. Historical records mention a notable individual named Pedro Magallon, who served as a respected magistrate and legal advisor during the reign of King Pedro IV of Aragon (1319-1387).
The Magallon surname can also be traced back to the town of Magallon, located in the province of Zaragoza. This town likely took its name from the Latin word "magalia," which referred to small huts or dwellings, suggesting that the area may have been initially settled by a group of people living in such structures.
During the 16th century, the Magallon family expanded their presence throughout Spain, with some members even venturing to the Americas as part of the Spanish colonial expeditions. One notable figure was Juan de Magallon, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
In the realm of literature, the Magallon surname is associated with the renowned Spanish playwright and poet, Juan Bautista Diamante Magallon (1625-1687). He was known for his religious plays and was considered one of the most influential dramatists of the Spanish Golden Age.
Other notable individuals bearing the Magallon surname include:
1. Diego Magallon (1530-1595), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Philippines.
2. María Antonia Magallon (1730-1802), a Spanish painter and portrait artist who gained recognition in Madrid during the 18th century.
3. Bernardo Magallon (1770-1835), a Spanish military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against the French forces of Napoleon.
4. Juana Magallon (1845-1920), a Spanish educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools in Valencia.
5. José Magallon (1900-1982), a Mexican painter and muralist who was part of the Mexican Muralism movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magallon
Among Census respondents with the surname Magallon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Magallon 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 Magallon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 4,571
- White3.7% · 181
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 78
- Two or more races0.2% · 9
- Black or African American0.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magallon
Magallon 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
#6,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,387
+1,613 bearers (+42.7%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Up 1,760 places
2020
#6,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,849
-538 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,092 | 3,774 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,332 | 5,387 | 1.83 | +1,613 bearers (+42.7%) | Up 1,760 places |
| 2020 | #6,690 | 4,849 | 1.62 | -538 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 358 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 Magallon 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 | #6,332 | #6,690 | -5.7% |
| Count | 5,387 | 4,849 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.62 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magallon bearers went from 5,387 to 4,849 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 358 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,332 to #6,690.
FAQ
Magallon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magallon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,560 living Americans carry the surname Magallon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,646 residents.
How common is Magallon?
Magallon ranks #6,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,849 people with the surname Magallon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,560), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Magallon.
Has Magallon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magallon went from 5,387 recorded bearers to 4,849. That is a decrease of 538 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,332 to #6,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Magallon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magallon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Magallon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (4,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magallon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). 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 Magallon (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 Magallon mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a spot abounding in magpies." 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 Magallon (1.62 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 last name Magallon?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Magallon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.