Mahogany last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mahogany

A surname derived from the mahogany tree, native to the Americas.

Mahogany, 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 Mahogany surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahogany in America

Mahogany is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahogany surname appeared 103 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 Mahogany.

The history of the last name Mahogany

The surname "Mahogany" is a relatively modern surname that originated in the English language, likely in the 18th or 19th century. It is derived from the word "mahogany," which refers to the reddish-brown tropical hardwood tree species native to the Americas.

While the name itself does not have a long historical lineage, it is believed to have been adopted as a surname by individuals or families who were involved in the mahogany timber trade or had some association with the wood. The earliest known records of the surname date back to the late 18th century in England and North America.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Mahogany" can be found in the records of the East India Company, where a man named John Mahogany is listed as a carpenter working on the company's ships in the 1780s. It is possible that he or his ancestors adopted the surname due to their involvement in the mahogany trade or woodworking industry.

Another notable early bearer of the surname was William Mahogany (1775-1849), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several prominent buildings in London during the early 19th century. His use of the surname suggests that it was already established, although its origins remain somewhat unclear.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Mahogany" is found in the 1820 census records of Virginia, where a family with that surname is listed. This could indicate that the name had already been adopted by some individuals or families in America at that time.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Mahogany" throughout history include:

  1. James Mahogany (1810-1888), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in South America, studying the region's flora and fauna.
  2. Elizabeth Mahogany (1845-1923), a British philanthropist and social reformer who founded several charitable organizations in London.
  3. William Mahogany (1892-1967), an Australian artist and painter known for his landscapes depicting the Australian outback.
  4. Robert Mahogany (1920-1998), an American journalist and war correspondent who covered several major conflicts in the 20th century.
  5. Sarah Mahogany (born 1975), a contemporary British author and novelist who has written several bestselling books.

While the surname "Mahogany" is not as common as some other surnames, it has a unique and intriguing origin, reflecting the influence of global trade and the importance of natural resources like mahogany wood throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahogany

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

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 Mahogany was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 91.26% 94
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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 Mahogany was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Mahogany last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 25, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahogany-surname-popularity/.

"Mahogany last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahogany-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 November, 2024

Mahogany last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahogany-surname-popularity/.

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