2000
#10,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,718
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Magner
An Irish occupational surname referring to a merchant, trader, or monger, derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Meicnéir."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,875 Americans carry the last name Magner. That puts it at #11,929 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,219 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magner 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 Magner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 119,219
Census rank
#11,929
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,507 bearers of the surname Magner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11929th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magner
The surname Magner has its origins in Ireland, and it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "maighnéir," which means "magnet" or "magnetic stone."
One theory suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone who possessed a strong or magnetic personality. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with magnets or as a maker of compasses or navigational instruments.
While there are no direct records of the name appearing in ancient manuscripts like the Domesday Book, some early references can be found in Irish historical records. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is from the 16th century, when a certain Dermot Magner is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.
In the 17th century, the name is seen in various records, such as the 1659 Census of Ireland, where several individuals with the surname Magner are listed in County Tipperary and County Kilkenny. This suggests that the name was concentrated in these regions during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Magner. One prominent figure was Patrick Magner (1806-1864), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in Ireland and the United States. Another notable Magner was John Magner (1884-1947), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Yonkers, New York, in the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, the surname Magner is associated with Mary Magner (1909-1993), an Irish novelist and short story writer who gained recognition for her works depicting life in rural Ireland. Additionally, James Magner (1919-2004) was an American artist and illustrator known for his work in the advertising industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in a place name context is Magner's Hill, a small village in County Tipperary, Ireland, which likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Magner.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magner
Among Census respondents with the surname Magner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Magner 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 Magner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,315
- Two or more races3.4% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 25
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magner
Magner 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
#10,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,911
+193 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 162 places
2020
#11,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,507
-404 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 994 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,773 | 2,718 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,935 | 2,911 | 0.99 | +193 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 162 places |
| 2020 | #11,929 | 2,507 | 0.84 | -404 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 994 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 Magner 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 | #10,935 | #11,929 | -9.1% |
| Count | 2,911 | 2,507 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.84 | -15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magner bearers went from 2,911 to 2,507 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 994 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,935 to #11,929.
FAQ
Magner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,875 living Americans carry the surname Magner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,219 residents.
How common is Magner?
Magner ranks #11,929 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,507 people with the surname Magner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,875), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Magner.
Has Magner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magner went from 2,911 recorded bearers to 2,507. That is a decrease of 404 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,935 to #11,929.
What does the Census say about the background of Magner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Magner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Magner (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 Magner mean?
An Irish occupational surname referring to a merchant, trader, or monger, derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Meicnéir." 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 Magner (0.84 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 Magner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.