2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Magbie
A Scottish surname from a Middle English nickname meaning "bald headed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Magbie. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magbie 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Magbie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magbie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magbie
The surname Magbie has its origins traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English words 'maeg' meaning 'a maiden' and 'byr' meaning 'a dwelling place'. The name likely originated from someone who lived in a dwelling inhabited by unmarried women or maidens.
This surname is believed to have first appeared in the county of Dorset in the southwest of England during the 11th century. The earliest known recording of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Maegebyr'.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as 'Maggebye', 'Magebyr', and 'Magbyr' in old parish records and tax rolls. These variations in spelling were common during the medieval times due to the lack of consistent spelling conventions.
One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir John Magbie, who was a renowned knight and landowner in Dorset during the 14th century. He is recorded as having fought in the Hundred Years' War alongside King Edward III and was awarded lands for his bravery in battle.
Another notable figure was William Magbie, a wealthy merchant who lived in London during the 16th century. He was a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as a Sheriff of London in 1542.
In the 17th century, there was a Thomas Magbie who was a renowned scholar and theologian. He was born in 1612 and wrote several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.
During the 18th century, the name Magbie was associated with the village of Magbie in Dorset, which was named after the family who had lived there for generations.
One of the most notable figures in the 19th century was Elizabeth Magbie, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She was born in 1824 and founded several schools for girls in London, promoting education for women during a time when it was still uncommon.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magbie
Among Census respondents with the surname Magbie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Magbie 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 Magbie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American87.6% · 106
- Two or more races7.4% · 9
- White5.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magbie
Magbie appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+18 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 15,925 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 Magbie 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 | #157,234 | #141,309 | 10.1% |
| Count | 103 | 121 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magbie bearers went from 103 to 121 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 15,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #141,309.
FAQ
Magbie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magbie?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Magbie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Magbie?
Magbie ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Magbie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Magbie.
Has Magbie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magbie went from 103 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 18 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Magbie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magbie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (5.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Magbie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magbie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (87.6%), Two or More Races (7.4%), White (5.0%). 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 Magbie (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 Magbie mean?
A Scottish surname from a Middle English nickname meaning "bald headed." 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 Magbie (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 many people are called Magbie?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Magbie, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.