2000
#13,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Magoon
Derived from the Irish surname Mag Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar" (son of the pale-colored or tawny one).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,058 Americans carry the last name Magoon. That puts it at #15,667 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,547 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magoon 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
2.1K
1 in 166,547
Census rank
#15,667
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,795 bearers of the surname Magoon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15667th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magoon
The surname Magoon is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "maga," meaning "kinsman" or "relative," combined with the suffix "-tun," meaning "settlement" or "village."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Magone, whose name is likely an early variation of the modern Magoon surname.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts across different regions of England. Some notable examples include John Magoun, born in 1287 in Oxfordshire, and William Magowne, a merchant from Yorkshire who was active in the late 1300s.
As the name spread across England, it evolved into various spellings such as Magowne, Magoon, and Magoune. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded the name.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Magoon (1524-1597), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Windsor from 1572 until his death. His contributions to the Church of England and his writings on religious subjects earned him a respected reputation during his lifetime.
Another notable figure bearing the Magoon name was Sir John Magoon (1612-1678), a wealthy landowner and politician from Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause.
In the 18th century, the name crossed the Atlantic with the migration of English settlers to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances in America was that of Samuel Magoon (1725-1795), who settled in Massachusetts and served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.
As the centuries progressed, the Magoon surname continued to spread across England and the United States, producing several notable individuals. These include Admiral John Magoon (1806-1873), a celebrated naval officer who served in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, and Charles E. Magoon (1858-1920), a lawyer and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1904 to 1912.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magoon
Among Census respondents with the surname Magoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Magoon 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 Magoon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 1,587
- Two or more races5.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 46
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magoon
Magoon 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
#14,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,086
+66 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 587 places
2020
#15,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,795
-291 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 1,325 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,755 | 2,020 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,342 | 2,086 | 0.71 | +66 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 587 places |
| 2020 | #15,667 | 1,795 | 0.60 | -291 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 1,325 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 Magoon 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 | #14,342 | #15,667 | -9.2% |
| Count | 2,086 | 1,795 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.60 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magoon bearers went from 2,086 to 1,795 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 1,325 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,342 to #15,667.
FAQ
Magoon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magoon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,058 living Americans carry the surname Magoon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,547 residents.
How common is Magoon?
Magoon ranks #15,667 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,795 people with the surname Magoon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Magoon.
Has Magoon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magoon went from 2,086 recorded bearers to 1,795. That is a decrease of 291 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,342 to #15,667.
What does the Census say about the background of Magoon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magoon, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Magoon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (1,587 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magoon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Magoon (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 Magoon mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Mag Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar" (son of the pale-colored or tawny one). 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 Magoon (0.60 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 Magoon?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Magoon, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.