2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Magsombol
An indigenous Filipino surname likely derived from the Cebuano words "magsom" (to sprout) and "bol" (root or bulb).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Magsombol. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Magsombol 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Magsombol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Magsombol, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and White (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magsombol
The surname MAGSOMBOL is of Filipino origin, tracing its roots back to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th or 17th century, when Spanish colonization brought about the adoption of surnames among the indigenous population.
The name MAGSOMBOL is thought to be derived from the Tagalog language, which is one of the primary languages spoken in the Philippines. It is a compound word that combines the prefix "mag-" (meaning "to do" or "to perform") and the root word "sombol" (meaning "to sprout" or "to germinate"). This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or a descriptive term related to agriculture or plant growth.
Historical records from the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, such as parish registers and census documents, may contain some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MAGSOMBOL. However, due to the lack of systematic record-keeping during that time, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date or location of the name's first appearance.
One notable figure in Philippine history who bore the surname MAGSOMBOL was Emilio Magsombol (1878-1962), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a congressman and senator during the early 20th century. Another individual of note was Gregorio Magsombol (1902-1985), a renowned Filipino artist and sculptor known for his works depicting rural life and indigenous culture.
In more recent times, Teresita Magsombol (1937-2022) gained recognition as a pioneering Filipino environmentalist and advocate for sustainable development. She played a crucial role in establishing several environmental organizations and initiatives in the Philippines.
Other notable individuals with the surname MAGSOMBOL include Francisco Magsombol (1923-2009), a respected educator and educator who served as the president of several universities in the Philippines, and Luisa Magsombol (1912-1998), a celebrated writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, nature, and Filipino identity.
While the surname MAGSOMBOL may not be as widespread as some other Filipino surnames, it holds a rich cultural heritage and has contributed to various fields throughout Philippine history, from politics and the arts to education and environmental conservation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magsombol
Among Census respondents with the surname Magsombol, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and White (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Magsombol 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 Magsombol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.7% · 108
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- White1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magsombol
Magsombol appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,739 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 10,739 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 Magsombol 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 | #157,234 | #146,495 | 6.8% |
| Count | 103 | 114 | 10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magsombol bearers went from 103 to 114 (+10.7% change). The surname moved up 10,739 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #146,495.
FAQ
Magsombol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magsombol?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Magsombol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Magsombol?
Magsombol ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Magsombol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Magsombol.
Has Magsombol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magsombol went from 103 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 11 (+10.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Magsombol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magsombol, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and White (1.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Magsombol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magsombol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), White (1.8%). 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 Magsombol (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 Magsombol mean?
An indigenous Filipino surname likely derived from the Cebuano words "magsom" (to sprout) and "bol" (root or bulb). 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 Magsombol (0.04 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 common is the surname Magsombol?
Find out how common the surname Magsombol is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.