2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Magrogan
Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Rogáin meaning "son of the fierce one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Magrogan. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magrogan 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Magrogan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magrogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magrogan
The surname Magrogan originates from Ireland, emerging in the early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "roghan" meaning "choice" or "selection." These roots suggest that the name may have initially referred to a chosen or favored son.
The earliest known record of the Magrogan name dates back to 1617 in County Mayo, Ireland. During this period, many Irish surnames underwent anglicization, leading to variations in spelling such as Magrogan, Magroghan, and Magroogan. These variations were likely influenced by the local dialects and the scribes' interpretations.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Magrogan family was primarily concentrated in the counties of Mayo and Sligo in the northwest of Ireland. The name is thought to have originated in these regions, although some records indicate that it may have also had a presence in County Donegal.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Magrogan surname was Patrick Magrogan, who was born in County Mayo around 1650. He was a landowner and farmer, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure was Michael Magrogan, born in County Sligo in 1725. He was a successful merchant and trader, and his business ventures helped establish the family's prosperity in the region.
In the late 18th century, the Magrogan family played a role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Several members of the family were involved in the uprising against British rule, with some serving as officers in the rebel forces.
One such individual was Thomas Magrogan, born in County Mayo in 1770. He was a prominent leader in the rebellion and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time. After the rebellion's defeat, he was forced to flee Ireland and eventually settled in the United States.
The Magrogan surname also has ties to the Irish diaspora, with many family members emigrating to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and Great Britain. This dispersal contributed to the spread of the name across different regions.
Other notable individuals with the Magrogan surname include:
1. James Magrogan (1810-1888), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.
2. Elizabeth Magrogan (1845-1923), a philanthropist and advocate for women's rights in Canada.
3. Peter Magrogan (1890-1962), an Irish-born Australian journalist and writer.
4. John Magrogan (1920-2005), a British military officer who served in World War II and later became a successful businessman.
5. Mary Magrogan (1955-present), an American chef and restaurateur known for her contributions to the culinary scene in Philadelphia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magrogan
Among Census respondents with the surname Magrogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Magrogan 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 Magrogan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magrogan
Magrogan 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+9 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-13 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,614 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 10,614 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 Magrogan 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 | #144,141 | #154,755 | -7.4% |
| Count | 115 | 102 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magrogan bearers went from 115 to 102 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 10,614 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,755.
FAQ
Magrogan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magrogan?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Magrogan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Magrogan?
Magrogan ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Magrogan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Magrogan.
Has Magrogan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magrogan went from 115 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Magrogan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magrogan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Magrogan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magrogan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (8.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Magrogan (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 Magrogan mean?
Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Rogáin meaning "son of the fierce 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 Magrogan (0.03 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 Magrogan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.