Find out how popular the last name Magnolia is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Magnolia.

Magnolia, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Magnolia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Magnolia in America

Magnolia is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Magnolia surname appeared 139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Magnolia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Magnolia to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Magnolia

The surname "Magnolia" is a relatively modern name, originating in the late 18th or early 19th century. It is derived from the botanical name for the flowering magnolia tree, which was named by the French botanist Pierre Magnol in 1703. The magnolia tree is native to eastern North America and parts of South America, and its name comes from the Latin "magnus" meaning "great" and the suffix "-olia" meaning "related to."

The earliest recorded use of the surname "Magnolia" appears to be in the United States in the early 1800s. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals or families who lived near or were associated with magnolia trees or plantations where magnolias were cultivated. Some early bearers of the name may have been botanists or horticulturists who studied or worked with magnolias.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "Magnolia" was William Magnolia (1792-1867), a farmer and landowner from Virginia. Another early bearer was Sarah Magnolia (1810-1882), a schoolteacher from South Carolina. In the late 19th century, John Magnolia (1845-1923) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New Orleans, Louisiana, who made his fortune in the shipping industry.

In the 20th century, notable individuals with the surname "Magnolia" included the artist and sculptor Alice Magnolia (1901-1987), whose works are held in several museums across the United States. Another was the writer and journalist Robert Magnolia (1920-1998), who wrote for several major newspapers and published several books about the American South.

While the surname "Magnolia" is relatively uncommon, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout its history. The name's connection to the magnolia tree and its association with the southern United States have likely contributed to its enduring presence as a surname over the past two centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Magnolia

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Magnolia.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Magnolia was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Magnolia has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Magnolia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Magnolia, please contact us.

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