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

Megginson, 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 Megginson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Megginson in America

Megginson is the 25020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Megginson surname appeared 993 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 Megginson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Megginson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Megginson

The surname Megginson is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Megg, a pet form of the name Margaret. It first emerged in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the late 12th century.

Megginson is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "megg" meaning "mighty" and "sunu" meaning "son," effectively translating to "son of Megg." This naming convention was common during the Middle Ages, where surnames were often derived from a parent's given name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Megginson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Meggynson. The surname also appears in various historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire.

During the medieval period, the surname was often spelled in various ways, including Meggynson, Meginson, and Meggeson, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Megginson Fold, a hamlet in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire.

Notable individuals with the surname Megginson throughout history include:

1. Sir Ralph Megginson (c. 1510-1592), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Reverend William Megginson (1650-1717), an English clergyman and author, known for his work on the history of the parish of Whalley in Lancashire.

3. Thomas Megginson (1790-1864), a British businessman and philanthropist who established the Megginson Charity in Newcastle upon Tyne for the education of poor children.

4. John Megginson (1835-1901), a British mining engineer and inventor, credited with developing several innovations in coal mining safety and extraction techniques.

5. Lilian Megginson (1889-1975), a British artist and painter, known for her landscape and portrait works, particularly those depicting scenes from the English countryside.

While the surname Megginson has spread across various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora, its roots can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it first emerged as a patronymic name during the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Megginson

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

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 Megginson was:

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Megginson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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