2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Megargee
A surname possibly deriving from the French place name Migergues or related to the Greek "megas" meaning large or great.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 170 Americans carry the last name Megargee. That puts it at #122,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,016,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Megargee 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
170
1 in 2,016,202
Census rank
#122,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
148
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 148 bearers of the surname Megargee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 122574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Megargee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Megargee
The surname MEGARGEE has its roots in the Scottish Highlands, emerging in the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "meagair" meaning "hospitable" and "garg" meaning "rough" or "fierce." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was hospitable but also had a rough or fierce demeanor.
In its early days, the name was primarily found in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides, where it was often spelled as "MacGaraidh" or "MacGarry." Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms, including "McGarry," "McGarrigle," and eventually, "MEGARGEE."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, where a chieftain named Aodh MacGaraidh is mentioned in the year 1467. This historical reference provides insight into the prominence of the name during that era.
As the name spread beyond Scotland, it made its way to Ireland, where it took on variations such as "McGarrigle" and "McGaragher." In the 17th century, a notable figure named Rory McGarrigle was recorded as a participant in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
In the late 18th century, a man named James MEGARGEE (1737-1789) immigrated to Pennsylvania from Ireland, becoming one of the earliest recorded individuals with this particular spelling of the name in America.
Another notable bearer of the MEGARGEE surname was John MEGARGEE (1789-1857), a prominent businessman and landowner in Philadelphia. He played a significant role in the development of the city's infrastructure, including the construction of bridges and roads.
In the literary world, the name MEGARGEE gained recognition through the works of Lon MEGARGEE (1923-1998), an American science fiction writer and author of several notable novels, including "Raygun Reworks" and "The Geometry Craft."
Additionally, the MEGARGEE surname has been associated with academic excellence, as exemplified by Robert J. MEGARGEE (1933-2013), a distinguished professor of electrical engineering at the University of Michigan.
While the MEGARGEE surname may have evolved over centuries and traversed different regions, its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, where it was initially forged as a reflection of hospitality and fierceness.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Megargee
Among Census respondents with the surname Megargee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Megargee 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 Megargee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 130
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.7% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Megargee
Megargee 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
#111,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
+3 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,949 places
2020
#122,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
-10 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,426 | 158 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 4,949 places |
| 2020 | #122,574 | 148 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 11,148 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 Megargee 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 | #111,426 | #122,574 | -10.0% |
| Count | 158 | 148 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Megargee bearers went from 158 to 148 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 11,148 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,426 to #122,574.
FAQ
Megargee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Megargee?
Name Census estimates that about 170 living Americans carry the surname Megargee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,016,202 residents.
How common is Megargee?
Megargee ranks #122,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 148 people with the surname Megargee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (170), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Megargee.
Has Megargee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Megargee went from 158 recorded bearers to 148. That is a decrease of 10 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,426 to #122,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Megargee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Megargee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Megargee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Megargee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Megargee (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 Megargee mean?
A surname possibly deriving from the French place name Migergues or related to the Greek "megas" meaning large or great. 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 Megargee (0.05 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 are called Megargee?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Megargee on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.