2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Margaris
A Greek surname derived from the given name Margaret.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Margaris. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Margaris 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Margaris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Margaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Margaris
The surname Margaris originated from Greece, with roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "margaritari," meaning "pearl merchant" or "pearl trader." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were involved in the pearl trade.
The name was initially concentrated in the Aegean islands, particularly in the Cyclades archipelago. It is also found in regions of mainland Greece, such as Attica and the Peloponnese peninsula. Variations in spelling include Margaritis, Margaritis, and Margaritou.
Historical records from the Byzantine era mention individuals with the surname Margaris. One notable example is Ioannis Margaris, a merchant from the island of Paros, who is documented in a 16th-century manuscript detailing trade agreements with the Venetian Republic.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Margaris dates back to the late 15th century. A document from the archives of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos refers to a certain Georgios Margaris, a landowner from the island of Naxos.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and property deeds from the Cyclades islands, indicating its establishment as a prominent local surname. One notable individual from this period was Konstantinos Margaris, a wealthy shipowner from the island of Mykonos, who lived between 1620 and 1687.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Margaris made significant contributions in various fields. Alexandros Margaris (1765-1842) was a distinguished scholar and linguist from Chios, renowned for his translations of ancient Greek texts. Eleni Margaris (1813-1879), from the island of Syros, was a philanthropist and benefactor who funded the construction of schools and hospitals in her hometown.
In the 20th century, Dimitrios Margaris (1898-1976), a renowned architect from Athens, was responsible for designing numerous iconic buildings, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Athens Hilton Hotel.
Other notable individuals with the surname Margaris include Nikolaos Margaris (1917-2003), a celebrated Greek poet and writer, and Ioanna Margaris (1925-2010), a pioneering female lawyer and advocate for women's rights in Greece.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Margaris
Among Census respondents with the surname Margaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Margaris 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 Margaris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 91
- Two or more races4.2% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Margaris
Margaris 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
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-7 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 694 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 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.8%) | Up 694 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 Margaris 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 | #156,540 | 0.4% |
| Count | 103 | 96 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Margaris bearers went from 103 to 96 (-6.8% change). The surname moved up 694 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,540.
FAQ
Margaris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Margaris?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Margaris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Margaris?
Margaris ranks #156,540 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 96 people with the surname Margaris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), 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 Margaris.
Has Margaris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Margaris went from 103 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Margaris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Margaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (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 Margaris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Margaris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (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 Margaris (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 Margaris mean?
A Greek surname derived from the given name Margaret. 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 Margaris (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 people share the surname Margaris?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.