2000
#1,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.65
Uncommon Last name
Magee
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,325 Americans carry the last name Magee. That puts it at #1,305 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magee 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 Magee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,303
Census rank
#1,305
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,445 bearers of the surname Magee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1305th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magee, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magee
The surname Magee originated in Ireland, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Aoidh," which means "son of Hugh" or "son of Aodh." The name Aodh is derived from the old Irish word "Aed," meaning "fire."
Historically, the Magee surname was predominantly found in counties Derry and Antrim, in the northern part of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 17th century, when it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from that region.
One of the earliest known references to the name Magee is in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, where several individuals with the surname are listed as residing in County Antrim. Additionally, the name appears in the Ulster Plantation Records from the early 17th century, indicating that members of the Magee family were among the Scottish and English settlers who were granted land in Ulster during that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Magee throughout history include James Magee (1707-1793), an Irish-born American merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1766 to 1767. Another prominent figure was John Magee (1794-1868), a Scottish-born American industrialist and politician who played a significant role in the development of the coal and iron industries in Pennsylvania.
In the literary world, John Magee (1922-1941) was an American poet and aviator who wrote the famous poem "High Flight," which was published posthumously after his death in World War II. William Magee (1766-1831), an Irish clergyman and poet, is also remembered for his works, including "On the Making of Books" and "Thoughts in Prison."
Martha Magee (1856-1940), an Irish artist and illustrator, was renowned for her work in the Arts and Crafts movement, and her illustrations in books such as "The Arabian Nights" and "Irish Fairy Tales."
Throughout history, the Magee surname has been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in Ireland and Scotland. For instance, the town of Magee in County Antrim, Ireland, is believed to have derived its name from the Magee family who once lived in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magee
Among Census respondents with the surname Magee, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Magee 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 Magee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 16,358
- Black or African American30.5% · 8,072
- Two or more races3.6% · 964
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 749
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 129
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magee
Magee 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
#1,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,720
+1,689 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 9.40
Rank movement Down 32 places
2020
#1,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,445
-1,275 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 8.85
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,237 | 26,031 | 9.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,269 | 27,720 | 9.40 | +1,689 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 32 places |
| 2020 | #1,305 | 26,445 | 8.85 | -1,275 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 36 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 Magee 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 | #1,269 | #1,305 | -2.8% |
| Count | 27,720 | 26,445 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.40 | 8.85 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magee bearers went from 27,720 to 26,445 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,269 to #1,305.
FAQ
Magee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magee?
Name Census estimates that about 30,325 living Americans carry the surname Magee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,303 residents.
How common is Magee?
Magee ranks #1,305 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,445 people with the surname Magee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,325), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Magee.
Has Magee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magee went from 27,720 recorded bearers to 26,445. That is a decrease of 1,275 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,269 to #1,305.
What does the Census say about the background of Magee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magee, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Magee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (16,358 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.9%), Black (30.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Magee (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 Magee mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire"). 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 Magee (8.85 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 Magee?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Magee on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.