2000
#16,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,652
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Mcgonigle
Derived from Irish Gaelic and meaning "son of the modest and gentle one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,418 Americans carry the last name Mcgonigle. That puts it at #13,747 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgonigle 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 Mcgonigle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,751
Census rank
#13,747
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,109 bearers of the surname Mcgonigle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13747th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgonigle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgonigle
The surname McGonigle originates from Ireland, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Conghail," which means "son of the valorous one." This name was particularly prevalent in counties Donegal and Tyrone.
The earliest known record of the McGonigle name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions a McGonigle chieftain, Niall Óg Mac Conghail, who lived in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the McGonigles were among the Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Plantation of Ulster. Many were forced to migrate to other parts of Ireland or abroad.
One notable bearer of the McGonigle name was Reverend James McGonigle (1725-1803), an Irish Presbyterian minister who emigrated to America and became a prominent figure in the early days of the United States.
Another important McGonigle was John McGonigle (1801-1889), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1854 to 1856.
In the 19th century, the McGonigle name was also found in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. This was likely due to the migration of Irish families during the Great Famine of the 1840s.
One of the most famous McGonigles was Sir George McGonigle (1883-1962), a British actor and theatre manager who was knighted for his contributions to the performing arts.
Additionally, James McGonigle (1915-2000) was an American attorney and judge who served as a United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the McGonigle name have been observed, such as McGonagall, McGonegal, and McGonnigal, reflecting the fluidity of name transcription in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgonigle
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgonigle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgonigle 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 Mcgonigle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,951
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 83
- Two or more races2.6% · 55
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgonigle
Mcgonigle 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
#20,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,274
-378 bearers (-22.9%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 4,641 places
2020
#13,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,109
+835 bearers (+65.5%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 7,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,109 | 1,652 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,750 | 1,274 | 0.43 | -378 bearers (-22.9%) | Down 4,641 places |
| 2020 | #13,747 | 2,109 | 0.71 | +835 bearers (+65.5%) | Up 7,003 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 Mcgonigle 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 | #20,750 | #13,747 | 33.7% |
| Count | 1,274 | 2,109 | 65.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.71 | 64.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgonigle bearers went from 1,274 to 2,109 (+65.5% change). The surname moved up 7,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,750 to #13,747.
FAQ
Mcgonigle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgonigle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,418 living Americans carry the surname Mcgonigle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,751 residents.
How common is Mcgonigle?
Mcgonigle ranks #13,747 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,109 people with the surname Mcgonigle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,418), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Mcgonigle.
Has Mcgonigle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgonigle went from 1,274 recorded bearers to 2,109. That is an increase of 835 (+65.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,750 to #13,747.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgonigle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgonigle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) 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 Mcgonigle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgonigle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.9%), 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 Mcgonigle (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 Mcgonigle mean?
Derived from Irish Gaelic and meaning "son of the modest and gentle 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 Mcgonigle (0.71 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 Mcgonigle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mcgonigle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.