2000
#5,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,325
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Magill
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac an Ghoill," meaning "son of the foreigner" or "son of the Englishman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,977 Americans carry the last name Magill. That puts it at #6,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,346 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magill 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 Magill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,346
Census rank
#6,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,212 bearers of the surname Magill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magill
The surname Magill originated in Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name Mac Gille, meaning "son of the servant" or "son of the devotee." It was a common prefix used in Ireland during the Middle Ages, often attached to a saint's name or a location.
The earliest known record of the name Magill dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name was initially spelled in various ways, such as MacGill, MacGille, and MacGilla.
In the 16th century, the Magill family was prominent in County Down, Northern Ireland. One notable member was Sir Hugh Magill, who lived from 1567 to 1635 and served as a member of the Irish Parliament.
Another prominent figure with the Magill surname was Robert Magill, a Scottish minister and scholar who lived from 1688 to 1768. He was a professor of Hebrew at the University of Glasgow and published several works on biblical studies.
In the 18th century, the Magill family established themselves in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. One of the most well-known members of this branch was James Magill, who was born in 1738 and became a prominent businessman and landowner.
The Magill name also found its way to North America, with several bearers of the surname participating in the American Revolutionary War. One such individual was Charles Magill, who was born in 1738 in Pennsylvania and served as a captain in the Continental Army.
Another notable figure with the Magill surname was Mary Magill, an Irish-American author and poet who lived from 1828 to 1898. She published several works, including "Poems of Mary Magill" and "The Household Poet," and was known for her contributions to Irish-American literature.
Over time, the name Magill has been associated with various place names, such as Magilligan in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and Magill University in Quebec, Canada, which was named after a prominent benefactor with the Magill surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magill
Among Census respondents with the surname Magill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Magill 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 Magill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,770
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 195
- Two or more races2.9% · 151
- Black or African American0.9% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magill
Magill 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
#6,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,692
+367 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#6,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,212
-480 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,953 | 5,325 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,036 | 5,692 | 1.93 | +367 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #6,280 | 5,212 | 1.74 | -480 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 244 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 Magill 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 | #6,036 | #6,280 | -4.0% |
| Count | 5,692 | 5,212 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.93 | 1.74 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magill bearers went from 5,692 to 5,212 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,036 to #6,280.
FAQ
Magill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magill?
Name Census estimates that about 5,977 living Americans carry the surname Magill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,346 residents.
How common is Magill?
Magill ranks #6,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 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 5,212 people with the surname Magill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 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 Magill.
Has Magill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magill went from 5,692 recorded bearers to 5,212. That is a decrease of 480 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,036 to #6,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Magill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Magill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,770 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Magill (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 Magill mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac an Ghoill," meaning "son of the foreigner" or "son of the Englishman." 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 Magill (1.74 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 Americans have the surname Magill?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.