2000
#9,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Maughan
A Norman French habitational surname referring to someone from the town of Mohon in Manche, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,128 Americans carry the last name Maughan. That puts it at #8,745 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,032 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maughan 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Maughan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,032
Census rank
#8,745
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,600 bearers of the surname Maughan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8745th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maughan
The surname Maughan originates from England, specifically from the northern counties of Yorkshire and Durham. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "maw" and "gan," which together mean "descendant of the gull." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near the coast or in an area with a large gull population.
Records indicate that the name Maughan first appeared in the 13th century, with the earliest known reference being William Maugan, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines in 1246. Other early spellings of the name include Mawghan, Maughan, and Maughen, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that time.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places with similar names, such as Maugham in Kent and Maughan in Yorkshire, suggesting a connection to the surname's origins.
One notable bearer of the name was John Maughan (c. 1592-1673), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bewcastle in Cumberland for over 50 years. Another was Thomas Maughan (1795-1871), a prominent British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and railway technology.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Maughans was Robert Maughan, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1773. His descendant, Joseph Maughan (1828-1910), was a Mormon pioneer who helped establish settlements in Utah and Idaho.
Other individuals of note with the surname Maughan include:
1. William Maughan (1849-1935), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
2. David Maughan (born 1969), a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for various clubs in England and Wales.
3. Clive Maughan (born 1950), a British musician and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Deaf School.
4. John Maughan (born 1951), an English former professional footballer and manager, who notably managed the Republic of Ireland national team from 1986 to 1988.
While the surname Maughan is not as common as some others, it has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of England, with bearers of the name making notable contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maughan
Among Census respondents with the surname Maughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Maughan 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 Maughan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,328
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 100
- Two or more races2.6% · 93
- Black or African American0.8% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maughan
Maughan 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
#9,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,494
+387 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 279 places
2020
#8,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,600
+106 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,598 | 3,107 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,319 | 3,494 | 1.18 | +387 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 279 places |
| 2020 | #8,745 | 3,600 | 1.20 | +106 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 574 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 Maughan 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 | #9,319 | #8,745 | 6.2% |
| Count | 3,494 | 3,600 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.20 | 2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maughan bearers went from 3,494 to 3,600 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 574 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,319 to #8,745.
FAQ
Maughan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maughan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,128 living Americans carry the surname Maughan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,032 residents.
How common is Maughan?
Maughan ranks #8,745 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,600 people with the surname Maughan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Maughan.
Has Maughan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maughan went from 3,494 recorded bearers to 3,600. That is an increase of 106 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,319 to #8,745.
What does the Census say about the background of Maughan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Maughan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,328 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maughan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Maughan (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 Maughan mean?
A Norman French habitational surname referring to someone from the town of Mohon in Manche, France. 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 Maughan (1.20 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 have the last name Maughan?
Want to know how many people have the last name Maughan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.